The Ministry of Animal Husbandry and Dairying launched the National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) in September 2019 to control and eliminate two major livestock diseases: Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis. The initiative directly affects India’s 8.04 crore farming families who depend on livestock for their livelihood and food security.
What the Programme Delivers
The NADCP has administered 147.16 crore FMD vaccine doses since its start. The vaccination strategy targets all susceptible livestock twice yearly for FMD and provides one-time Brucellosis vaccination to female bovine calves aged 4 to 8 months during their lifetime.
Disease outbreaks have dropped sharply. FMD cases fell from 132 recorded incidents in 2019 to 40 by 2025. Brucellosis outbreaks declined from 22 in 2019 to 15 in 2025. Testing shows protective immunity against FMD stands at 78.1 percent for type O, 71.7 percent for type A, and 77.6 percent for Asia1. India has seen no Asia1 FMD outbreaks for three years.
The programme uses the Bharat Pashudhan Portal to track livestock. Over 39 crore animals have been registered with unique 12-digit identification tags. Mobile Veterinary Units numbering 4,019 operate across 29 states and union territories, providing services to 136 lakh farmers and treating 276 lakh animals through a toll-free helpline at 1962.
Cattle and buffalo productivity has improved significantly. Indigenous and non-descript cattle output rose 44.89 percent from 927 kilograms per animal yearly in 2014-15 to 1,343.2 kilograms in 2024-25. Buffalo productivity increased 25.8 percent in the same period. National milk production climbed 69.4 percent from 146.31 million tonnes in 2014-15 to 247.87 million tonnes in 2024-25.
The government has allocated Rs 2,010 crore for the broader Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme in 2026-27. Vaccinators receive a minimum of Rs 3 per dose administered.
What This Means for You
If you own livestock, your animals now have better protection against costly diseases that reduce milk production and prevent breeding. Farmers can access free vaccination services and veterinary care through mobile units without traveling to distant clinics. The focus on disease reduction helps stabilise milk prices and improve household incomes from dairy farming and animal rearing.