"Mission Punganur" a major breakthrough in indigenous cattle conservation

•  First time SV Veterinary University is going to use other breed cattle as the surrogate mother for breeding Punganur cattle by IVF technology
•  AP government has sanctioned Rs 69.36 crores for this project implementation

Tirupati: " Mission Punganur" which was taken up by Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University at YSR Kadapa District is a major breakthrough in indigenous cattle conservation in Andhra Pradesh State. This research will help to develop the high yield milk production Punganur breeds phase-wise at Pulivendula advanced live research on livestock centre under the supervision of SV Veterinary University Tirupati. For this AP Government has sanctioned Rs 69.36 crores exclusively for the reproduction of Punganur cattle through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) method.

In the process, scientists will use Surrogate Mother cows from other breeds instead of Punganur cows. Because there was a scarcity of healthy and graded Punganur cows for implementing IVF technology.

This project will be implemented in the next five years at University Pulivendula research centre. Project main object is for conservation and propagation of this cattle under "Mission Punganur Research Project" objectives are one is conservation and propagation of conservation and propagation ofPunganur breed in Andhra Pradesh. Second is Rapid multiplication of superior female through in-vivo and in-vitro embryo production.

Another important thing in the project is an efficient use of low genetic merit cows as a surrogate and producing elite offspring. And Skill pool development in IVF-ET for its extensive application in the field.

Through the implementation of the Mission Punganur, three to four-fold increases in the reproductive efficiency of cows can be expected. As against the production of 2.5 offspring in 5 years from each cow under normal circumstances, this project envisages production of 8.5 offspring from each cow in 5 years. A total of 1690 offspring is expected to be produced from 200 superior donors. At present Punganur cattle population at present in the AP state 2,7772, eligible graded reproductive breeds 56 only.

As of now above statistics are indicating the decline of the Punganur cattle population in an alarming situation in the state. It is inevitable to conserve and increase their population in its native tract by the adoption of new scientific techniques.

SVVU Vice-Chancellor Prof Padmanabha Reddy told The Hans India, "We far behind when compared with the rest of the world in applying various reproductive technologies like OPU-IVF-ET etc. Infrastructure and skilled manpower need to be developed to work in the front line areas of reproduction. Brazil, which is also a developing country like India, made rapid strides in applying these advanced reproductive technologies and producing several thousand IVF embryos and pregnancies.".

Further, the VC added " Since 1994-95 the Punganur cattle breed is maintained at Livestock Research Station, Palamaner under the administrative control of our University, Tirupati. The services are also utilised by the farmers of A.P and neighbouring states Tamil Nadu and Karnataka for the propagation of the endangered cattle breed. Livestock research station secitients are supplying Punganur cow urine and dung to farmers of that area for organic farming purpose and recorded very significant good results in agricultural and horticultural crops ".