What: Frozen semen station
Where: Maranga, Purnea (Bihar)
When: May 12, 2018
- Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shri Radha Mohan Singh on May 12, 2018 laid the foundation stone of the frozen semen station in Maranga, Purnea, Bihar.
- The frozen semen station is being set up at a costof Rs 64 crore under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission with 100% contribution from the Central Government.
- The artificial insemination techniques can increase milk production and productivity. Currently, the artificial insemination is being done by CMOFED (Sudha) in Bihar. For artificial insemination, semen from high genetic merit bulls is needed.
- The frozen semen station in Purnea will be the first state-of-the-art semen production center of the country. The center will develop highly modern bull shade, semen processing lab, feed and godown, agricultural equipment, and other facilities. In this, 300 high genetic merit bulls will be kept and 50 lakhs of semen dose will be produced per year. Red Sindhi, Bachaur, Gangatiri, Sahiwal breeds will also be kept.
- With the establishment of this semen station, milk productivity of cows and buffaloes will increase rapidly in the state.
About Rashtriya Gokul Mission
- The Rashtriya Gokul Mission was initiated in December 2014 with an aim to conserve and develop indigenous breeds.
- Ii is a focused project under National Programme for Bovine Breeding and Dairy Development, with an outlay of Rs 500 crore during the 12th Five Year Plan.
- Objectives: The Mission is being implemented with the objectives to:
- Development and conservation of indigenous breeds,
- Undertake breed improvement programme for indigenous cattle breeds so as to improve the genetic makeup and increase the stock;
- Enhance milk production and productivity;
- Upgrade nondescript cattle using elite indigenous breeds like Gir, Sahiwal, Rathi, Deoni, Tharparkar, Red Sindhi and
- Distribute disease free high genetic merit bulls for natural service.
- The Rashtriya Gokul Mission is being implemented through the “State Implementing Agency (SIA viz Livestock Development Boards). State Gauseva Ayogs are given the mandate to sponsor proposals to the SIA’s (LDB’s) and monitor implementation of the sponsored proposal.
- The Funds under the scheme are allocateded for:
- Establishment of Integrated Indigenous Cattle Centres viz “Gokul Gram”;
- Strengthening of bull mother farms to conserve high genetic merit Indigenous Breeds;
- Establishment of Field Performance Recording (FPR) in the breeding tract,
- Assistance to Institutions/Institutes which are repositories of best germplasm;
- Implementation of Pedigree Selection Programme for the Indigenous Breeds with large population;
- Establishment of Breeder’s Societies: Gopalan Sangh,
- Distribution of disease free high genetic merit bulls for natural service,
- Incentive to farmers maintaining elite animals of indigenous breeds;
- Heifer rearing programme; award to Farmers (“Gopal Ratna” ) and Breeders’ Societies (“Kamadhenu” );
- Organization of Milk Yield Competitions for indigenous breeds and
- Organization of Training Programme for technical and non technical personnel working at the Institute/Institutions engaged in indigenous cattle development.
- Gokul Gram: Under this component it is proposed to establish Integrated Indigenous Cattle Centres or Gokul Grams in the breeding tracts of indigenous breeds. Gokul Grams are established in: i) the native breeding tracts and ii) near metropolitan cities for housing the urban cattle.
