Farmers in Gazipur are dealing with an acute shortage of goat vaccines after supplies from the district livestock office have run out, leading to a great anxiety among the farming community here that their farms could be destroyed in the absence of timely vaccination.

District livestock officials said they have taken necessary measures to collect the requisite goat vaccines from the capital, which would be delivered within this week in line with the needs of the district.

According to information of the district livestock office, there are about 3,000 goats in 25 farms across different upazilas of the district.

Besides, many families are rearing 233,229 goats at home. Goats need to be vaccinated once a year ahead of the breeding season to remain healthy. Farmers vaccinate their goats from the livestock office at Tk 50 per goat.

The livestock office has distributed 53,000 goat vaccinations among the farmers this year but the vaccine against Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), a highly contagious viral disease affecting sheep and goat, ran out two weeks ago.

PPR, also known as sheep and goat plague, is a viral disease of goats and sheep characterised by fever, sores in the mouth, diarrhoea, and pneumonia. The PPR virus does not infect humans.

Talking to media, Atiqur Rahman, manager of Plus-Minus Agro Limited, said, “We’ve brought 30 new goats in January. We went to the district livestock office for vaccination but it wasn’t possible to vaccinate due to acute shortage. So, we’re worried.”

District Livestock officer Dipak Ranjan Roy said they have sent a team to Dhaka to bring the necessary goat vaccinations. After receiving the consignment, it will be possible to vaccinate from Monday next, he added.