Disaster preparedness is essential for dairy farmers for animal health, minimize economic losses and ensure business resilience against extreme weather condition.
A disaster may be natural or man-made which create hazards and causes threat to human lives, animals and infrastructure, Sometimes emergencies or disasters can occur at any time without warning regardless of a dairy farm’s location and farmers counter them with their own efforts and bear the trauma of the disasters. Therefore disaster preparedness is essential for dairy farmers to safeguard their animal health, minimize severe economic losses and ensure long-term business resilience against unpredictable extreme weather condition.
Some of the disaster preparedness for our Dairy Farmers:
1. Always keep proper records of dairy animal, their ear tag No., ownership details, their insurance card, photos of the farm and animal as it become essential for insurance claims, government help and compensation after a disaster.
2. Dairy Farmers need to keep ready emergency and disaster plan for evacuating dairy animal in case of any disaster such as:
a) Identifying safe and secure shelters in case of Floods/storms/extreme hot/cold weather/wildfire, earthquake, landslide etc.
b) Ensure Storage of sufficient clean water to last for a week.
c) Maintain a minimum of 7(Seven) days reserve of feed and fodder stock.
d) Necessary farm equipment i.e. halters/ropes/bolt cutter to free animals.
e) First aid box
f) Fire extinguishers
3. Dairy farmers to have some basic idea about first aid treatment of dairy animals i.e. cut/injury/burn/strain/fracture etc.
4. A first Aid box to be maintained by dairy farmers. And it should consist of; (a) Cotton rolls/balls (b) antiseptic solution (c) Blunt ended scissor (d) syringe of different sizes (5 ml/10ml/20ml) (e) adhesive tap (f) crepe rolled bondage (g) detergent soap (h) antibiotic ointment etc.
5. Dairy farmers should keep the phone no. of the local veterinary Doctor or nearest veterinary health centre/veterinary hospital, local authorities, police/ fire station and pasted on the wall of the farm premises for any emergency services.
6. Ensure regular vaccination and timely de-worming, as healthy animals are more resilient during disaster.
8. Dairy farmers to form a common mobile app group in their respective village/block for quick dissemination of information among themselves i.e. government warning system, weather forecasting, disease outbreak etc. do and don’ts.
9. The Dairy Cooperative society (DCS) or artificial insemination workers (ATW) do have a crucial role in emergencies and disasters preparedness as they are familiar with the area/farms etc. They should maintain proper record of list of dairy farmers, their address, location of farm, contact no., total no. of dairy animals in a village/block/district to informing government warning system and helping the administration and government agencies in cases of any disasters.
Dr. Elizabeth Yhome,
Project Director,
Nagaland State Dairy Co-operation Federation (NSDCF) Ltd. Kohima.