Haryana to collaborate with Brazil for improving indigenous cow breeds

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Chandigarh, July 22

Minister of Animal Husbandry and Dairying JP Dalal on Wednesday said the state would collaborate with Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) to develop a centre of excellence for breed improvement of animals in Hisar.

Besides, a centre would be set up by a Canadian company to increase the protein content in animal feed, he added.

Speaking about his recent Brazil tour, the minister said the country had improved the genetics of the Gir cow breed — which were donated by the king of Bhavnagar in 1911 — to develop the Girlando breed that gives 15 litres milk on average.

Dalal said indigenous cow breeds such as Hariana, Sahiwal and Rathi could also be improved on similar lines.

“To achieve this, Gir germplasm will be imported from Brazilian Association of Zebu Breeders (ABCZ). In addition, the possibility of exporting quality Murrah germplasm to Alta Genetics, a Brazilian genomics company, will be explored,” he said.

Regarding his Canada tour, he said the establishment of a centre of excellence for pig farming in public-private partnership at the government livestock farm in Hisar were also discussed.

“Establishment of a state-of-the-art dairy farm with modern management practices for milk production and cooperation of Cimex Genetics for setting up a sexed-sorted semen institute in Hisar for indigenous cattle were also discussed,” he added.