Government

India’s FMD positivity rate falls to 7.8% as government pushes 2030 eradication target

Officials at a Bhubaneswar workshop said India's FMD positivity has dropped sharply as the country works toward FMD-free status by 2030.

By Karan Malhotra July 9, 2026 2 min read

India’s NSP positivity rate for Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD) has declined from 16.6% in 2022 to 7.8% in 2026, officials said at a National Workshop on Compartmentalization and Zoning for FMD held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on 8 July 2026. The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD) organized the two-day event to work toward the government’s goal of FMD-free status by 2030, part of the broader Viksit Bharat @2047 vision.

Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh, who leads the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, said more than 1.4 billion FMD vaccine doses have been administered under what he described as one of the world’s largest animal disease control programmes. He added that no Asia-1 serotype case has been recorded in three years and that India now has the capacity to produce 116 crore FMD vaccine doses a year. Nine states have been identified as priority states for establishing FMD-free zones and compartments.

The inaugural session, opened with a ceremonial lamp-lighting, was attended by Minister of State Prof. S. P. Singh Baghel, Odisha’s Fisheries & Animal Resources Development Minister Shri Gokulananda Mallik, DAHD Secretary Shri Naresh Pal Gangwar, Additional Secretary Ms. Varsha Joshi, Additional Secretary Shri Rama Shankar Sinha and Animal Husbandry Commissioner Dr. Naveena B. Maheswarappa.

At the same event, the Union Minister launched the Rate My Laboratory App for veterinary diagnostic labs, the Dairy Vikas Portal for tracking milk collection infrastructure, and the Vidyapeeth Portal for Artificial Insemination Training Institutes. He also released a Standard Operating Procedure on preventing and controlling mastitis in dairy animals.

Prof. S. P. Singh Baghel said the livestock sector supports more than 8 crore rural families, particularly women, and contributes 31% of Agricultural GVA and 5.5% of India’s overall GVA. Shri Gokulananda Mallik called for continued vaccination, surveillance, biosecurity measures and stronger veterinary infrastructure to meet the 2030 target, while DAHD Secretary Shri Naresh Pal Gangwar spoke on the role of compartmentalization and zoning in disease control.

The workshop’s first technical session covered WOAH standards for FMD-free zones and compartments and reviewed the Support to States/UTs for Capital Investment (SASCI) Scheme. Ms. Varsha Joshi raised concerns about El Niño’s possible effect on fodder availability, asking states to set up Fodder Task Forces and district-wise contingency plans. The workshop resumes on 9 July 2026 with sessions on differential FMD strategies, negative marker vaccines and SAT serotype threats.