The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Artificial insemination for cattle on the doorstep

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Aug 29, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Artificial insemination for cattle on the doorstep

By P. Sudhakar

TIRUNELVELI, AUG. 28. Farmers, who hitherto took their cattle all the way to the nearest hospital for artificial insemination, can have it done on their doorstep in the near future. The Union Government aims at increasing the rate of conception through artificial insemination from 35 to over 50 per cent and thus increasing milk production.

Under the second phase of the National Project on Cattle and Buffalo Breeding, the Dairy Development Ministry has released Rs. 20 crores. Besides establishing or upgrading infrastructure for artificial insemination, the programme paves way for the maintenance in good health of bulls, which donate semen, providing them with better fodder and sheds etc.

The virile bulls are kept in the livestock depots at Hosur, Abhishegapatti near Tirunelveli, Eechchankottai in Thanjavur district and Udhagamandalam. While the Hosur and Eechchankottai depots have over 80 bulls, the Abhishegapatti unit has 37 animals. A team of experts, including experienced veterinarians, is observing the health of these `donors' everyday. The semen will be processed and stored in laboratories in the four places.

Upgrading laboratories

Though efforts are on to obtain ISO certification for the laboratories, they are not to the stipulations. Hence, it has been decided to spend a sizable portion of the amount released by the Ministry for upgrading facilities in the laboratories.

The semen from the laboratories will reach the doorstep of the farmers in mobile artificial insemination centres, manned by veterinary doctors.

The scheme has many advantages. In the present set-up, the farmers have to bring their cattle to the nearest veterinary hospital, between 7 and 11 a.m., as artificial insemination is normally done only during that period. However, the cattle mostly attain heat in the evening — a conducive stage for artificial insemination, which occurs once in three weeks. To utilise the chance, artificial insemination can be done in the evening on the farmers' premises through the mobile centre. This strategy will significantly increase the chances of conception. Moreover, this scheme would provide employment to a good number of veterinarians, R.S. Reddy, manager, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Regional Office, Chennai, told The Hindu .

When this scheme was launched in four States in the first phase, Andhra Pradesh fared well and there was a steep increase in the rate of conception. Buoyed by the results, the Union Government decided to extend the project to seven more States including Tamil Nadu, said Dr. Reddy, a veterinarian.

The NABARD would facilitate and evaluate the scheme at every stage positively.

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