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State to set up a ‘Bull Station’ in Cuttack

CUTTACK: Worried over the dismal milk productivity in the State, the government has decided to make certain genetic corrections in the cattle population and increase the improved varieties of cows to boost milk production.

As part of the drive, the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department is setting up a massive and state-of-the-art “Bull station” here in the city. The station believed to be the largest of its kind in Asia would have a Frozen Semen Bank to boost the artificial insemination programme currently undertaken by the State Government.

The bull shed is being set up on an area of 18,761 square feet at Khapuria in the city to rear at least 32 bulls of different hybrid, informed the State Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Director Bishnupada Sethy. “The station is being financed by National Project for Cattle and Buffalo Breeding (NPCBB) with an estimated cost of Rs 60 lakhs. The station would have separate high-tech chambers for each bull, which would be left free for natural growth of the animals, he added.

According to statistics, the State now has a cattle population of more than 14 lakhs, of which some 50,000 are hybrid varieties. While the buffalo population is around eight lakh, the milk productivity in the State is dismally low.

Against the national average of milk production per cow per year is around 4,000 mt, the State average is pegged at 3,514 mt, the lowest in the country, sources said.

Veterinary surgeons point out that the low milk productivity of Orissa cows is due to genetic erosion of cattle population.

In a bid to upgrade cattle breed, the bull station would boost the production of quality semen for the ongoing artificial insemination programme, said the head of FSB Dr J K Pradhan. It is now being carried out through 2,500 centers and by November 2007, at least 574,544 cows will be inseminated artificially, sources said.

“We plan to extend the programme to the whole of the state with the help of FSB by next year, Sethy asserted. Milk production in the State was 12,00,000 mt in 2005-06.

Officials estimate that it would cross 15,00,000 mt by the end of current fiscal.

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