With the farming community saying “no” to male calves as they have turned burdensome and no use in the farm sector following the mechanisation of the farm activities, the Karimnagar Milk Producer Company aka Karimnagar Dairy has embarked upon a novel scheme of encouraging reproduction of only female calves through artificial insemination by using the “sex sorted semen” technology in the erstwhile Karimnagar district.
The Karimnagar Dairy, which is determined to pump up milk production, has decided to increase only the female animal population and launched the distribution of sex sorted semen in the district. Besides, they had also announced cash incentive of Rs 10,000 for the growth and health of each female calf.
Sexed sorted semen
Disclosing this to newsmen during the annual press conference about the performance of the Karimnagar Dairy during 2019-2020 on Sunday, its chairman Ch Rajeshwara Rao said that they had started developing sex sorted semen production at the Frozen semen bull station (FSBS) in Karimnagar town as part of the National Mission for Bovine Productivity. Accordingly, the Karimnagar Dairy would supply sex sorted quality semen with ‘X’ chromosome to get only female progenies through artificial insemination, he stated.
The male calves have become a cause of concern among the farming community as mechanisation of farming sector has increased. The farmer is happy with the female calf as it would help increase his income through the milk production. Following the demand from the farmers for the female calves’ production, the Karimnagar Dairy had launched the novel scheme, which is yielding results now. So far they had conducted artificial insemination of 262 animals through sex sorted semen technology and delivered 66 female calves till date and still the number would be added in the days to come, the chairman stated.
50% subsidy on sexed semen
In order to encourage the milk production and provide additional income to the farmers, the Karimnagar Dairy was providing the sex sorted semen at a 50 per cent subsidy at the rate of Rs 450 per dose. They had also announced Rs 10,000 incentive for the growth of the female calves born through sex sorted semen, he added.
The incentives include: Rs 500 immediate financial assistance to the farmer after the birth of female calf plus supply of Rs 1500 worth healthy fodder feed for the calf growth and another Rs 1,000 worth cash incentive. Above all, they would supply Rs 7,000 worth fodder feed till the growth of the female calf, Rao said.
Besides, they would also take up vaccination of the calf at free of cost and treat the animal at veterinary camps. “Our purpose is to increase the milk production and provide additional income to the farmers along with their farm activities”, Rajeshwara Rao said. Dairy Managing Director P Shankar Reddy, Advisor V Hanumantha Reddy and others were present.
Source : Telangana Today Jan 17 2021