The impact of Transboundary Animal Diseases (TADs) like FMD, PPR and CSF often transcends national boundaries and can be the cause of national emergencies. Defining and analysing the market systems in the context of identifying the disease risk and to assist in stakeholder engagement for risk mitigation in a targeted manner is critical to achieving the goal of disease control.
The high-level regional consultation organized during 2011 under the auspices European Union-funded programme: Regional cooperation programme on highly pathogenic and emerging diseases (HPED) in South Asia (SAARC component) and in the ASEAN countries recognized the importance of the study of the market system and recommended that the programme should promote SAARC member countries to map livestock production system and improve understanding of markets, value chains and animal movement patterns in the sub-region.
A short study from July to December 2013, aimed broadly at understanding livestock market system (value chain and physical markets) was undertaken by Vet Helpline India Pvt Ltd as a follow up of the above recommendation. It was conducted under the overall supervision of FAO hosted the Regional Support Unit (RSU) of the program for SAARC countries located at Kathmandu, Nepal. The study covered 5 Indian states of Indo-Gangetic plain region and eastern India bordering Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan viz. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and Tripura.
