Caring for livestock in distress, the Animal Husbandry Department is gathering cattle feed from all possible locations and deliver it free of cost to needy farmers in flood-hit areas. A major share of the stock brought from Karnataka has been sent to dairy farmers in Wayanad district.
“We have started an exclusive helpline—0495272050—to work together in the sector. In Kozhikode district, arrangements have been made to offer quick medical assistance to unhealthy animals in all grama panchayats,” said District Animal Husbandry Officer A.C. Mohandas. He added that some panchayats had even opened special camps.
At Chethukadavu near Chathamangalam, there were around 50 animals, mostly hybrid cows, at a special camp till Saturday.
Dr. K.C. Ismail, who attended to animals at the camp, said that they were all healthy, as they were given timely medical aid and food. “As farmers themselves arranged fodder, there were no big hurdles for us to manage it, and some of them even managed to take the cows back home,” he added.
As chances are high for cows developing mastitis now, farmers have been advised to be vigilant and give them timely medical care. Officials confirm that the district is not short of emergency medicines, and an additional stock is expected to reach soon to meet the growing requirements.
For now, the loss of livestock voluntarily reported by farmers in the district to the department is around ₹38.20 lakh.
Though the death of cows and goats was less compared to that in other districts, poultry farmers here faced a huge setback, according to an assessment by the department.
“In Kozhikode district, Puthuppadi grama panchayat recorded the greatest loss in rain-related calamities. Dairy farmers in Velam, Unnikulam, Kodenchery, Madavoor and Mavoor panchayats too were dragged into a crisis,” said Dr. Mohandas.