The district administration on Saturday ordered the reopening of the weekly cattle shandy at Manapparai which was ordered closed in mid-November last year following the spread of the foot-and-mouth disease.
The Manapparai shandy, held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays every week, is the only major functional cattle shandy in the district.
On an average, about 10,000 head of cattle are brought to the shandy every week for sale.
FMD under controlDistrict Collector Jayashree Muralidharan, in a statement issued here on Saturday, said the shandy would start functioning from January 14, as the foot-and-mouth disease had been fully brought under control.
Animal Husbandry Department officials said adequate precautionary measures would be in place at the shandy.
“All animals brought to the shandy will be screened by a team of veterinary doctors and livestock inspectors to check for symptoms of the disease. Bleaching powder will be sprayed on the shandy premises and sodium bicarbonate solution on wheels and undercarriages of all vehicles transporting cattle,” I. Chinnadurai, Joint Director of Animal Husbandry, Tiruchi, told The Hindu .
Farmers would be advised to keep the animals purchased at the shandy in isolation and not allow them to mingle with their main stock for 15 days.
If the newly purchased animals show any symptoms of the disease, the Veterinary department could be alerted, he said.
On Friday, Mr. Chinnadurai chaired a meeting with the department doctors and officials from the Tiruchi district to discuss the arrangements for the next round of vaccination against the foot-and-mouth disease, expected to be carried out in March.
The vaccination is likely to be held at the village level and the department is targeting cent per cent coverage during the drive.
