Palanpur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a Rs 325-crore cattle breeding and research centre in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district on October 30. The facility aims to improve indigenous cattle breeds, increase milk production and help farmers raise better-quality animals.
The Bharat Bovine Breeding and Research Centre (BBBRC), located at Bhildi, has been developed by Banas Dairy across 127 acres. The project received technical guidance from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and support under the Centre’s Rashtriya Gokul Mission.
The centre aims to produce 25,000 superior embryos every year using advanced breeding technologies. It is one of five major projects linked to Banas Dairy that Modi will inaugurate, dedicate to the public or lay foundation stones for during his Gujarat visit.
Advanced Technology to Improve Cattle Breeding
Gujarat Assembly Speaker and Banas Dairy Chairman Shankar Chaudhary said the centre would use technologies such as ovum pick-up and in-vitro fertilisation (OPU-IVF), along with embryo transfer, to increase the breeding of high-quality cattle.
He explained that a cow of a superior breed normally gives birth to one calf a year. With the help of the new technology, however, several calves can be obtained from a single elite cow within a year.
The annual target of 25,000 superior embryos is expected to help improve the genetic quality of future generations of cattle and increase their milk-producing capacity.
The centre will focus on indigenous cattle breeds such as Kankrej, Gir, Sahiwal and Tharparkar. It will also work with buffalo breeds including Mehsani, Banni, Jaffarabadi and Murrah.
Focus on More Milk and Lower Costs for Farmers
The project aims to help farmers produce more milk without having to maintain a large number of animals. Chaudhary said the focus was on “fewer animals, but better-quality animals and more milk”.
The approach is particularly relevant as livestock farmers face shrinking areas for growing fodder and rising costs of animal rearing.
According to Banas Dairy, the initiative is expected to benefit small livestock farmers and rural women, who contribute around 70 per cent of the work in the dairy sector.
The centre plans to make disease-free bulls from superior breeds, quality semen and embryos available to farmers at affordable rates. Better genetic traits could help improve milk yields and reduce production costs, although the results will also depend on feeding, animal care and the use of breeding technologies.
Higher milk-fat content could further improve farmers’ earnings. However, the benefits will vary depending on the animals and how they are raised and managed.
Centre Aims to Promote Indian Breeds
The facility is also expected to help promote Indian cattle breeds internationally. Indigenous cows and buffaloes are valued for their ability to withstand heat and, under suitable conditions, produce milk with comparatively lower feed requirements.
Banas Dairy, a farmers’ cooperative, has developed the centre with expert guidance and government support. The project is intended to strengthen scientific breeding practices and improve the productivity and profitability of livestock farming.