Anantapur: Animal husbandry department to promote surrogacy to save native cow breeds

Anantapur: Department of Animal Husbandry is embarking on a programme aimed at preserving native breeds including Ongole Bulls and Ponganuru cow breed by promoting surrogate motherhood and embryo transplantation in local cows. Small cattle farmers are, however, urging the government to supply Ongole breed cow semen at subsidised cost. The department sources told The Hans India that they had supplied 1,000 semen doses of native breeds including Ongole breed cows apart from embryo transplantation in surrogate mothers.

Research on improving the native breeds also will be carried out by the department. The programme is aimed at improving, conserving and propagating indigenous cow breeds through IVF embryos transplantation and as well as artificial insemination. Farmers need to purchase the semen doses at Rs 1,000 per dose. Although there is no scheme to facilitate BPL farmers to undertake semen transplantation in their cows, farmers who can purchase the semen and raise native cows are being encouraged to purchase the semen doses. The department had supplied 1,000 doses of the semen to interested farmers.

Ongole and Ponganore semen and embryo transplantation would be supplied to farmers, who will come forward. Research will be carried on genetic upgradation of native breeds locally.