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Veterinary Gaps in Vidarbha Threaten Livestock Farmers

Veterinary Gaps in Vidarbha Threaten Livestock Farmers
Veterinary Gaps in Vidarbha Threaten Livestock Farmers

Mornings in Vidarbha often begin with the lowing of cattle and the clang of metal buckets. Livestock in this region are not just animals; they are integral to the economic and nutritional stability of families across its villages.


Yet, for a growing number of dairy and livestock farmers in this eastern belt of Maharashtra, tending to the health of these animals has become increasingly difficult. Access to veterinary care remains limited, uneven, and often insufficient.


Despite various schemes and programmes, the region continues to face systemic challenges that hinder the effective delivery of animal healthcare.



Gaps in Infrastructure and Services


Across the districts of Nagpur, Wardha, Bhandara, Gondia, Chandrapur, Yavatmal, Amravati, Washim, Akola and Buldhana, veterinary healthcare is marked by disparity.


Maharashtra’s official data from March 2025 indicates that there are 4,853 government veterinary institutes statewide, including hospitals and dispensaries.


However, the distribution of these facilities leans heavily towards urban or semi-urban areas, leaving large rural pockets in Vidarbha underserved.


Many talukas in Vidarbha lack even a single nearby veterinary hospital, pushing farmers to travel distances of over 20 to 30 kilometres to seek care.

While the government launched the Chief Minister Animal Health Scheme to bridge this gap, aiming to deploy 349 mobile veterinary units across the state, implementation has been slow. By the end of 2021, only 73 such ambulances had been put to use.


As of 2025, 153 mobile veterinary units are reportedly operational. These ambulances are intended to carry a retired veterinary officer, driver and assistant, offering services ranging from first-aid to vaccination. But staff shortages and vehicle maintenance issues limit their reliability and reach.



The situation is compounded by an acute shortage of personnel. Out of nearly 4,500 junior vet-supervisor positions sanctioned in Maharashtra, just over 2,850 were filled as of 2021.


Diploma-level assistants, often expected to handle complex animal health issues in multiple locations, report unmanageable workloads.


In protest against inadequate resources and staffing, veterinary paramedics in the Nagpur division halted vaccination drives during the peak pre-monsoon season in 2021.


While there are around 87,914 registered veterinary professionals in the state, the national average of more than 6,000 animals per vet still applies to most rural parts of Vidarbha.

The logistical and financial burden of travelling to remote areas makes private veterinary practice unviable in many villages. As a result, local farmers often depend on their own knowledge or seek help from untrained individuals.


Consequences for Farmers and Their Animals

Consequences for Farmers and Their Animals
Consequences for Farmers and Their Animals

Dairy and livestock farmers across Vidarbha report delays in treatment and poor service delivery. In a study conducted in the Nagpur district, over half of the farmers cited the unavailability of veterinary services as a serious constraint. Many also felt unequipped with knowledge about basic animal health and disease prevention.


Common issues such as foot-and-mouth disease, brucellosis, mastitis, and parasitic infections are often left untreated in time.

In cases involving goats, which are widely reared by marginal and tribal communities, high kid mortality due to delayed or absent veterinary care remains frequent. During outbreaks, the absence of cold-chain infrastructure in rural clinics prevents effective storage of essential vaccines and medicines.



Cost is another barrier. Though government vaccination and treatment services are meant to be free or subsidised, several farmers report having to pay out-of-pocket either for private help or for accessing medicines that are out of stock at public centres.


Awareness about available government schemes is also low, particularly among goat and poultry rearers, many of whom are women or belong to Scheduled Tribe communities.


Veterinary health camps and artificial insemination services under projects like the Vidarbha-Marathwada Dairy Development Project have made some inroads.

But these services remain concentrated among members of dairy cooperatives, sidelining unorganised livestock rearers. Feed shortages during dry spells, high costs of mineral supplements, and poor fodder access further weaken the health of animals that already lack medical support.



Policy Measures and Local Interventions


To address the problem, several national and state schemes have been implemented, although their effectiveness remains varied.


The Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme, run by the central government, has enabled mass vaccination drives. Maharashtra reports administering over 9 crore foot-and-mouth vaccines, nearly 30 lakh doses against brucellosis, and more than 2 crore PPR vaccines by early 2025.


Disease outbreaks have reduced during this period, but outreach is still inconsistent in distant talukas due to manpower and transport constraints.

The Chief Minister Animal Health Scheme’s mobile vet units offer potential for doorstep services, but their limited rollout hampers widespread impact. Farmers in districts like Buldhana and Washim note that these vehicles do not always arrive when requested, and treatment is often delayed.


The toll-free number set up for scheduling visits has seen mixed usage, with many unaware of its existence.



On the grassroots level, initiatives like the Pashu Sakhi programme have brought some relief. Run in partnership with NGOs and the Maharashtra State Rural Livelihood Mission, this model trains local women to perform basic tasks such as first-aid, deworming, and advisory services.


Over 4,700 Pashu Sakhis now operate across the state, with a significant presence in tribal regions of Vidarbha like Gondia and Gadchiroli.

Though not a substitute for professional care, these community workers have improved awareness and access to elementary animal health services.


Dairy cooperatives linked with the National Dairy Development Board have also played a role. Through the Vidarbha-Marathwada Dairy Development Project, milk pooling points and veterinary health camps have been established.


Members receive subsidised cattle feed and training in cattle management. However, the benefits remain restricted to those within the cooperative network, leaving a large section of livestock owners without support.



Perspectives from the Ground

Perspectives from the Ground for Livestock Farmer
Perspectives from the Ground for Livestock Farmer

For farmers, the lack of timely veterinary care is a recurring worry. Some report losing entire batches of livestock to preventable illnesses simply due to delays in accessing a vet or receiving the correct medicine.


The burden falls heavily on women, who often tend to goats and backyard poultry. During health emergencies, they rely on traditional remedies or peer advice, which may or may not be effective.

Veterinary officers express concerns about being overstretched. Many are expected to cover multiple centres and conduct vaccination drives with limited resources.


During public health campaigns, they often have to handle logistics, outreach, and treatment single-handedly. Retired professionals brought in under schemes also highlight the challenge of serving large areas without sufficient mobility and logistical support.


NGOs working in animal husbandry point to gaps in coordination. They report that although schemes exist on paper, the actual implementation on the ground is inconsistent.


During the COVID-19 lockdown, many livestock farmers in Vidarbha were cut off from markets and services.



Nomadic herders faced restrictions in movement and had no access to animal healthcare or fodder. NGOs working in such areas advocate for more mobile clinics and decentralised service delivery.

Several studies conclude that while government schemes have made partial progress in improving animal health metrics, the core issue of access remains unresolved.


Without stronger human resources, consistent medicine supply, and better communication infrastructure, livestock rearers in Vidarbha continue to face health and economic risks that are largely preventable.


References




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