Haryana, Brazil to join hands to improve breed of buffaloes

Haryana government to establish a Haryana-Brazilian Centre of Excellence (CoE) at the Government Livestock Farm.

THE Haryana government has decided to establish a Haryana-Brazilian Centre of Excellence (CoE) at the Government Livestock Farm, Hisar to improve Haryana’s indigenous breeds of cattle and buffalos in the state with the upgraded Indian cattle Gir, Kankrej and Murrah buffalo in Brazil. The CoE would be established in tripartite agreement between Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Science, Hisar, Haryana Livestock Development Board and Association of Brazillian Zebu Breeders (ABCZ), Uberaba, Brazil.

A decision to this effect has been taken in a meeting held between Haryana Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Om Prakash Dhankar and Dr Jose Otavio Lemos of the Brazilian Association of Zebu Breeders, who called on the minister, here on Sunday. The Brazilian delegation has been requested to send a detailed proposal of the proposed CoE including the requirement of land, funds, human resources and technology to be transferred from Brazil to the proposed CoE.

The minister also informed the delegation that Haryana Livestock Development Board would shortly float a global tender for the procurement of sexed semen of Gir, Sahiwal and other indigenous breeds of cattle, the Brazilian breed of Gir having one of the best yielders, therefore, “they should also participate in the said global tender”.