The agricultural sector is focusing on supporting and guiding livestock farmers to confidently restore their herds.

Storm No. 3 (Storm Yagi) caused serious damage to the livestock industry in many localities in the province. To ensure the health of livestock to develop stably after the storm and flood, quickly restore the herd, and supply consumer demand at the end of the year; reporters from the Provincial Media Center interviewed Ms. Chu Thi Thu Thuy, Head of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine (Department of Agriculture and Rural Development) , about this content.

Ms. Chu Thi Thu Thuy, Head of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine (Department of Agriculture and Rural Development).

- Could you tell us about the damage caused by storm No. 3 to the province's livestock industry?

+ According to unspecified statistics from localities, storm No. 3 killed over 400,000 livestock and poultry; most were in Dong Trieu, Quang Yen, Ha Long, Uong Bi, Tien Yen. Many farms had their roofs blown off, walls collapsed; barns were flooded; the environment was seriously polluted.

The Department has assigned staff to affected localities, coordinated with commune-level authorities and specialized units to visit livestock facilities and households, and guided people to overcome and renovate barns and livestock environments, especially disinfection, cleaning, sterilization, and lime powder; checked the health status of livestock and poultry, provided care instructions, supported increased resistance, and provided vaccines to prevent diseases.

The Department guides localities based on Instruction No. 2160/SNNPTNT-STC dated July 6, 2017 of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development - Department of Finance guiding some contents to support the restoration of agricultural production in areas damaged by natural disasters and epidemics in the province according to Decision No. 1568/2017/QD-UBND of the Provincial People's Committee; carry out counting and verifying the exact number of damaged livestock and poultry, instructing breeders to provide relevant documents, quickly complete the application for damage support, and soon receive support money to restock... The work of supporting damaged localities is being focused on by the Department of Agriculture to guide people to feel secure in restocking.

- So what are the measures to treat, manage and prevent diseases for livestock?

+ First, livestock households need to clean, disinfect and sterilize . This is an urgent task that needs to be done immediately after the storm ends to destroy pathogens. Clean and disinfect the entire area around the barn, collect and dispose of dead animals (if any) by burying or burning to reduce the spread of disease or environmental pollution. Clean the water source for livestock farming; for areas without a water supply plant, water from rivers, streams, and wells must be used, then the water must be treated before use according to the following steps:

To clean a well, it is necessary to drain the remaining well water and dredge the sludge. If it is not possible to dredge, apply temporary treatment measures, scoop water into temporary tanks, add alum to clarify the water and then disinfect. To clarify the water: Use alum. If there is no alum, it can be replaced with filter cloth (it is necessary to filter many times to make the water clear and replace the cloth when there is a lot of residue on the cloth).

Pig farm in Nguyen Hue commune (Dong Trieu town).

Absolutely do not graze livestock and poultry in polluted areas that have not been sanitized; do not let livestock and poultry drink contaminated water from wells, ponds, lakes, etc. At the same time, review and organize full vaccination of livestock and poultry, especially for livestock and poultry in places where epidemics have occurred, high-risk areas, flooded areas, etc. When detecting livestock with signs of suspected infectious diseases, it is necessary to immediately notify specialized agencies and veterinary authorities for timely coordination and handling to avoid spreading the disease. Do not slaughter, buy or sell sick or dead animals, or throw dead animals into the environment due to disease.

- To restore livestock herds, what solutions should be focused on in the coming time?

+ After the storm, there is a risk of disease, because there are many pathogens in the environment and livestock, which can spread and infect. Therefore, to quickly restore production and stabilize people's livelihoods, we recommend that households only re-herd livestock when they have reinforced their barns, have adequate livestock equipment, and have cleaned the livestock area to ensure environmental hygiene and disease safety. Farmers need to choose breeds of clear origin, provided by reputable suppliers, with quarantine certificates, and fully vaccinated according to regulations.

In addition, ensure adequate supply of food, water, bedding, disinfectants, vaccines, digestive enzymes, minerals, probiotics, etc. when needed. Check food after storms, floods, humid weather, and rain leaks that cause food to become moldy. They must be discarded immediately and absolutely not given to animals.

Thank you!

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