UID tagging of milch cattle begins in Una district

Our Correspondent

Una, November 8

The Animal Husbandry Department has begun tagging of milch cattle in Una district. Each animal is being given a unique 12-digit identification number. Detailed information pertaining to animals and owners will be stored in a computer database. It will also help track owners of the animals in case they are found roaming in streets.

Animal Husbandry Minister Virender Kanwar said in a press release that the programme was being supported by the National Dairy Development Board under the Information Network for Animal Productivity and Health (INAPH). He said tagging of milch animals in the state would be compulsory under the programme.

Kanwar said the objective of creating the database was to ensure integrated development of the dairy sector by making available quality semen for artificial insemination, cattle feed, fodder seeds and vaccines for improving productivity of milk and the health of animals.

The minister said the information bank would be able to provide reliable, easy access and timely information to farmers, service providing organisations and policymakers for informed decision-making at all levels. He informed that the tagging programme was initiated from Basal village of Una at a cattle shed belonging to diary farmer Naresh Kumar.

Kanwar informed that the state government had procured sex-sorted semen for cows, which was available at artificial insemination centres. He informed that cows inseminated with such semen would give birth only to female calves, thus solving the problem of abandoning of male calves by cattle owners. This, he said would automatically reduce the number of stray bulls.

The minister informed that sex-sorted semen was available for indigenous breeds — Red Sindhi and Sahiwal — besides Jersey Cross and Holstein, foreign breeds.

He said only government veterinary doctors would carry out artificial insemination process since it had been reported that the procedures done by less-trained pharmacists had resulted in some cows getting infertile.