Chandigarh, November 13, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Animal Husbandry Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian has urged veterinary officers to promote scientific livestock management, preventive animal healthcare and improved dairy farming practices to boost milk productivity and farmers’ incomes.
He was addressing a state-level technical seminar organised by the Department of Animal Husbandry at Kisan Bhawan on the theme “Modern Livestock Management: Nutrition, Disease Prevention, Reproduction and Farm Hygiene”.
Khudian called upon veterinary officers to move beyond conventional curative practices and adopt a proactive approach to animal healthcare. He stressed scientifically balanced feeding, improved genetic potential, reproductive management, farm hygiene and comprehensive vaccination coverage.
He said veterinary officers had a crucial role in taking modern scientific knowledge to dairy farmers. Timely preventive healthcare and sound livestock management, he added, were essential for protecting animal health, increasing milk production and improving farmers’ incomes.
The minister also emphasised efficient field-level veterinary services, stringent seromonitoring under the National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) and the practical application of laboratory research at farms.
During the technical sessions, veterinary experts discussed key aspects of dairy herd management. Dr Jiwan Gupta highlighted cost management, preventive healthcare and early detection of conditions such as subclinical anaemia, ruminal pH fluctuations and mycotoxin contamination. He recommended periodic haemoglobin profiling and effective tick-control measures.
Dr Ravinder Grewal stressed precision nutrition and stage-specific feeding, particularly during calf and heifer rearing. He highlighted the importance of nutritional management during the six-week transition period around calving to reduce metabolic disorders, including ketosis, fatty liver syndrome and hypocalcaemia.
Dr Karanbir Singh Bhinder discussed reproductive efficiency, advocating timely post-partum examinations and early diagnosis of uterine disorders to improve conception rates and reduce the calving-to-conception interval. He said efficient reproductive management was essential to achieving the target of one calf per cow per year.
Dr Harshit Sethi spoke about herd immunisation under the National Disease Control Programme, focusing on standard procedures for Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccination and seromonitoring. He explained the role of DIVA diagnostics in monitoring field virus activity and called for vigilance against exotic viral strains, including the FMD SAT-1 serotype. He also stressed stronger farm-level biosecurity.
The department resolved to intensify scientific livestock management across Punjab by encouraging proper farm records, phase-specific ration balancing and 100 per cent vaccination coverage across dairy clusters. Veterinary officers were asked to strengthen disease surveillance and ensure scientific recommendations reach farmers at the grassroots level.
The seminar concluded with a commitment to strengthen preventive animal healthcare, disease monitoring and modern dairy practices to improve livestock welfare, milk productivity and the economic sustainability of Punjab’s dairy sector.
Gurmeet Khudian Hands Over Job Letters to Three Recruits
On the occasion, Khudian handed over appointment letters to two clerks and one Class-IV employee in the Animal Husbandry Department.
Congratulating the recruits, he said the government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann was committed to providing government jobs strictly on merit, without recommendations or favouritism. He urged the newly appointed employees to serve the people with honesty and dedication and contribute to the mission of building a ‘Rangla Punjab’.
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