Two-year wait for cattle semen unit

Patna: Chief minister Nitish Kumar is all set to lay the foundation stone for a frozen semen station in Purnea’s Maranga on May 12, a move that will go a long way in improving the cattle breed of Bihar, as well as, catering to the demand for artificial insemination by cattle owners in the state.

At present, there are over 74 lakh cows and buffaloes in Bihar, which are capable of breeding, require artificial insemination.

However, there is just one frozen semen station for the entire state. It’s located in Patna and produces just 3 lakh artificial insemination straws in a year, which proves to be grossly insufficient to cater to the cattle population here. As a result, the state remains dependent on other states for frozen semen.

Talking to The Telegraph, animal husbandry department secretary N. Vijayalakshmi said: “The state government is determined to provide financial benefits to farmers through cattle-rearing and artificial insemination has an important place in its plans. We are taking steps to improve cattle breeds as part of the breeding policy of the state.”

“Frozen semen for all the major indigenous breeds of cows like Red Sindhi, Sahiwal and Gir, as well as, hybrid and foreign breeds like Jersey and Holstein Friesian will be made available through the new facility that will come up at Purnea. Similarly, it will provide artificial insemination facility for a few major breeds of buffaloes, including the Murrah one,” Vijayalakshmi added.

AHD officials said the construction work will be completed in around two years after which the frozen semen station will start operating.

Vijayalakshmi added that the frozen semen station in Purnea will be a state-of-the art one. It’s being established with the help of the National Dairy Development Board at a cost of Rs 64 crore, which the Union government will provide. The state government will bear the expenditure needed to run it successfully.

The Purnea facility will be spread across 85 acres and will also be utilised to produce green fodder.

Meanwhile, the state has recently imported around 300 bulls of different breeds to promote better artificial insemination facilities in different districts. Work is in progress to facilitate easy availability of semen straws to farmers residing in the rural hinterland of Bihar.

Courtesy: The Telegraph