In Rangareddy district, some fodder sellers are selling synthetic hormone injections called “Oxytocin” to dairy farmers. They claim that these injections will increase milk production and help farmers make more profit. However, this practice poses a threat to the health of both people and children.
Recently, a team of drug inspectors conducted a surprise inspection at a fodder-selling shop in Lakshmareddypalem, PeddaAmberpet municipality. During the raid, they found dozens of bottles of Oxytocin and seized them. The owner of the shop was selling these injections to dairy farmers along with fodder, misleading them about its benefits.
Oxytocin is a hormone that is usually given to pregnant women during labor to start or improve contractions. It can also be used to reduce bleeding after childbirth or to end a pregnancy. However, using these injections on cattle can have serious health complications, especially in children. It can cause hormonal imbalance and even lead to premature puberty.
Due to the harmful effects of Oxytocin on people, the Government of India has banned its use on cattle. The drug inspectors seized around fifty unlabelled pet bottles containing Oxytocin from the shop and sent them for analysis at the drugs control laboratory. The seized material was later deposited in a court at Hayathnagar. The raid was carried out by a team of drug inspectors led by Anjum Abida, assistant director of the Drug Control department in Rangareddy district. The other members of the team were V Ravi Kumar, J Nagaraju, and L Raju.
