India has imported 40,000 doses of bull semen from Brazil for the first time to boost milk output via artificial insemination, the Mint reported.
Key points
- The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), which has imported the doses, aims to increase the number of Indian native breeds, Gir and Kankrej, and raise their milk production.
- India is the world’s largest milk producer, contributing 24% to global output, followed by the US and China.
- However, the country’s current milk production is on par with its consumption and, therefore, it needs to find ways to increase output as demand is expected to continue rising.
- NDDB is going to use the doses in an existing research project to get animals that have Brazilian genetics with a capacity of producing more than 80 litres of milk per animal.
- Some animals in Brazil can even produce up to 40 litres of milk. However, the average is 20-22 litres per animal.
- NDDB’s plan to import Brazilian bull semen faced strong resistance over the past four years from indigenous cow breeders over concerns about spoiling Indian breeds.
Gir or Gyr
- Gir or Gyr is one of the principal Zebu breeds that originated in India. Zebu cattle originated in Southwest Asia and have evolved from three breeds of Indian cattle.
- It was gifted by the Maharaja of Bhavnagar to Brazil in the 18th century, and Brazil has preserved the original breed of Gir cows.
- Gir has become a high milk-producing breed and is quite popular in South American countries due to its ability to survive extreme weather.
- India saw a constant decline in the number of indigenous varieties as farmers preferred breeds like Jersey, which are of British origin and yield more milk. Jersey cows give about 20 litres per animal a day on average.
