The milk route

Embryo transfer technology is expected to improve cattle breed in Himachal and enhance its milk production

A new technology is all set to rapidly revolutionise Himachal Pradeshs livestock sector.

Barely a year ago,Himachal woke up to the concept of embryo transfer technology ETT and decided to try and enhance the reproductive rate of milching cattle cows and produce genetically superior animals.

Efforts of some Germany-trained local scientists working at the state governments cattle breeding farm at Bagthan in Sirmaur one of Himachals backward districts finally paid off.

The farm has already added two male calves - Gaurav and Saurabh in the livestock. The first was born in December 2010 and other was born last month.

This is really a big success and now we are just a few steps away from taking the ETT to Himachal Pradeshs farmers, says Ramsubhag Singh,Secretary,Animal Husbandry.

The government,which has a Rs 3-crore project in hand,has already tied up with scientists both within India and abroad to propagate the technology.

After that,the next step would be introducing the semen sexing a technology successfully adopted in Punjab,Gujarat and other states for choice selection of female calves.

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As many as 50-100 calves can be produced from a single outstanding cow/buffalo by adopting the technology as against 5-10 calves in its entire life by normal breeding.

The government has also cleared a proposal to set up of a embryo-transfer technology lab at Palampur and get its scientists trained from countries like UK and Germany.

Dr K D Ryot,an animal reproduction specialist trained in ETT,says the technology is most relevant to the needs of states such as Himachal Pradesh,where production of hill cattle is very low.

As the ETT includes in-vivo and in-vitro production of embryos from genetically superior animals and their transfer into low producing recipients surrogate mothers,it can prove a boon for farmers,looking for opportunities to raise their income.

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The technique is expected to bring in a sea change in improving the economy of farmers and can add substantially to increasing the milk production in the state.

The programme is also expected to give impetus to the ongoing Dugdh Ganga Yojna a women-centric scheme to engage self-help groups in enhancing household income though dairy ventures. Stray cows can also be used as surrogate mothers for high quality embryos produced at this laboratory,scientists feel.