New Delhi, Aug 10 (IANS): Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Wednesday launched the indigenous Lumpi-ProVacInd vaccine to protect livestock from Lumpy Skin disease.

The vaccine has been developed by the National Equine Research Centre, Hisar (Haryana) in collaboration with the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izzatnagar (Bareilly).

Describing this vaccine as a milestone for eradicating the disease, Tomar said that livestock, along with human resource, is the biggest asset of the country, and we have a big responsibility to preserve it and make it prosper.

Noting that yet another new dimension has been set by developing this vaccine under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), he congratulated the scientists of both the institutes. Ever since the disease came to India in 2019, research institutes have been engaged in developing the vaccine.

Tomar expressed happiness that scientists accepted this as a challenge and undertaking limited trials in a short period, have developed a vaccine 100 per cent effective complying with all standards, which will be effective in getting rid of the disease.