------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Documented by Goa Desc Resource Centre Ph:2252660 Website: www.goadesc.org Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Press Clippings on the web: http://www.goadesc.org/mem/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------ State to import 200 pure breed cattle ------------------------------------------------------ The State government has taken the first step towards implementing the breeding policy with the impending import of 200 pure breed cattle from Haryana and Punjab. Hundred pure breed Sahiwal cows and hundred Murrah buffaloes will be brought to Goa over the next few months, and taken to the Government Livestock farm.
"This is a move to reduce the number of unproductive animals at the farm by selling them cheap to the farmers, replacing them with more superior animals," says an official from the farm. "The breeding policy will be implemented as it is laid out," he adds.
The breeding policy, based on the recommendations made by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) had been announced by the government some weeks ago.This breeding policy is a first for Goa, until it came into existence breeding was done haphazardly, without any order.According to the recommendations made for the breeding policy, the buffalo in the State were to be upgraded with the Murrah strain.
Accordingly, the State has decided to import the Murrah buffalo.It has also been specified that artificial insemination was to be done with the semen of superior quality cattle such as Jersey and Sahiwal.Insemination of the locally breedable cows with the semen of the pure bred animals would result in higher milk production.The success of these operations would be known after a few years by recording the milk production of the progeny, following which future breeding strategies would be mapped out.
The breeding policy was a result of a study made by NDDB experts, who had come down to Goa in April, 2003. In Goa, the present scenario is that absence of mechanised farming has led to an increased-dependence on the male cattle for farm work. In addition, the milk production of the female cattle is meagre.
As a result, the upkeep of the cows does not work out economical for the farmer. The end result is an extremely high population of adult male cattle and buffalo, much higher than that of the females. It has been estimated that the milk production in the State is 1.35 lakh per day. This however does not meet Goa's requirement and about 1.5 lakh litres of milk is brought in from neighbouring states every day. ---------------------------------------- HERALD 26/4/04 page 4 --------------------------------------
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