Murrah buffalo breed programme gets boost

Punjab’s dairy sector has received a powerful shot-in-the-arm with Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana, welcoming a one-year-old elite Murrah bull. It was gifted by Haryana’s renowned dairy farmer, Shiv Kumar Redhu of Balak village, Hisar.

The young bull carries exceptional genetic promise. Backed by multi-generation performance records and DNA-verified parentage, it is expected to play a pivotal role in strengthening Murrah buffalo breed improvement programmes across Punjab and the North.

A delegation led by Dr Ravinder Singh Grewal, Director of Extension Education, visited Balak to formally accept the valuable bull.

Dr JPS Gill, Vice-Chancellor of GADVASU, emphasised the university’s commitment to scientific and sustainable dairy animal improvement.

“This collaboration reflects the power of farmer-institution partnerships in driving genetic progress,” he noted.

The bull hails from a highly-productive female line nurtured by Redhu for over 15 years.

His dam recorded a first lactation yield of 3,600 kg with a peak of 17.746 kg/day, while the grand dam achieved an NDDB-recorded yield of 5,102 kg in 305 days, peaking at 26.5 kg/day, and sustaining an extraordinary 16 lactations.

Such meticulous, data-driven selection and complete pedigree documentation have earned Redhu widespread appreciation.

Varsity officials confirmed that the donated bull would contribute significantly to quality semen production and ongoing genetic improvement programmes. Villagers and dairy enthusiasts hailed the gesture as a model of farmer–university collaboration, one that could accelerate Murrah buffalo genetic progress and uplift the region’s dairy economy.