Palangkaraya Agriculture Office Targets 500 Cattle To Be Vaccinated With PMK

Officers from the Department of Agriculture and Food Security, City of Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan Province, vaccinate FMD for cattle owned by farmers in Palangka Raya. (Photo: ANTARA)

PALANGKARAYA - The Department of Agriculture and Food Security of Palangkaraya City, Central Kalimantan, is targeting 500 cattle belonging to local farmers to be injected with the oral and nail disease (PMK) vaccine next week.

"According to the directions and targets set, until Wednesday (29/6), we must complete the PMK vaccination of 500 cattle belonging to the breeders," said Head of Animal Health and Veterinary Society, Food Security and Agriculture Office of Palangkaraya City, Sumardi as quoted by Antara. , Sunday 26 June.

He explained that the vaccination injections to prevent the spread of PMK were carried out on cows in the "Kota Cantik" area for animals that were declared to be in good health.

"In principle, the PMK vaccination is like the COVID-19 vaccine, that is, it is injected into healthy cows. The time lag for each cow is four months from dose one to dose two. Then six months from the second dose to the third dose," he said.

Sumardi said that the PMK vaccine had been injected on cattle owned by local farmers in Palangkaraya a few days ago. At least 191 cows have been vaccinated.

This vaccine injection is prioritized for cattle owned by farmers and not cows used for this year's qurbani.

This vaccination is to prevent the spread of FMD in the people's cages.

"For the addition of the PMK vaccine, we are just waiting for directions from the center and the province. What is clear is that if the vaccine is available, we will immediately move," he said.

Meanwhile, until last June 24, the Office of Food Security and Agriculture of the City of Palangkaraya had recorded 48 cases of cattle infected with FMD.

Of all the cases of cattle infected with mouth and hoof disease, 25 are still sick and under treatment, 19 are declared cured and the remaining four are forcibly slaughtered.

"The case of cows infected with PMK only occurs in cages owned by farmers who bring in cows from outside the region for the purposes of sacrificial animals. Meanwhile, for local farmers, the condition of the cows is still safe," he said.

Currently, the Department of Agriculture of Palangkaraya also continues to monitor cattle owned by farmers in order to minimize the potential for the spread of FMD.

Meanwhile, he said that he had not received any further directives to cover the cost of cows that died due to PMK.