TTD sets record in breeding Sahiwal calf using ET technology method

Tirupati: TTD set a record in breeding high-yielding Desi Sahiwal calf through Ongole cow using latest embryo transfer (ET) technology with the surrogate Ongole Desi cow delivering the calf.

TTD Executive Officer A V Dharma Reddy, who visited TTD Gosamrakshana Sala on Sunday, hailed the breakthrough achievement of the Gosala successfully implementing the ET which he said would go a long way in producing more and more high-yielding Desi breeds.

Later speaking to the media at SV Goshala, the TTD EO said the first Sahiwal calf was born through artificial insemination of semen from a Sahiwal breed and the embryo was developed using IVF (In vitro fertilisation) and embryo was transferred to Desi Ongole cow which delivered the bovine on Saturday night. It was named as Padmavati, he said.

An MoU for promoting desi breeds through ET was inked between TTD and AP Veterinary University on the suggestion of AP Chief Secretary Dr K S Jawahar Reddy when he was working as TTD Executive Officer with an aim to make the Desi cows like Ongole breed more productive for fulfilling the TTD daily milk requirements including for rituals in its temples and also making prasadams for offering to deities in the shrines, EO recalled and said efforts were on to get more number of high-yielding Desi cows from north through donors to increase TTD milk production.

The EO said “the milk, curd, ghee and butter from high-breed desi cows are now rolled out for naivedyam, dhoopa, deepa and Nitya Kainkaryams at the Srivari temple. TTD has already gathered 200 desi breed animals and the effort through breeding using ET was to raise another 300 animals to meet the daily needs of Srivari temple.

He said in order to boost the health and quantity of milk and other products, TTD has already set up a feed mixing plant at the Goshala and the target is to raise 3,000-4,000 litres of quality milk per day to prepare 60 kg ghee for daily sevas in Tirumala temple and added

that TTD was also promoting Go-based farming by large number of farmers to produce food grains through natural farming, avoiding fertilisers to protect soil health.

Among others, TTD is promoting organic grass cultivation around Tirupati with the support of the district collector to build new sheds and sand dunes in the Goshala for the benefit of animals, he averred.

Speaking on the occasion, Veterinary University Vice-Chancellor Dr Padmanabha Reddy said in the next five years, 324 Sahiwal breeds of cows will be bred in TTD Gosamrakshanasala and added that the gender-based semen will be implanted in the Sahiwal and Gir breed of animals available at the SV Gosala.

TTD JEO Sada Bhargavi, Go Samrakshana Trust member Ram Sunil Reddy, Go Samrakshanasala Director Dr Harinath Reddy and Veterinary University Dean Veerabrahmamaih and Sri Venkat Naidu were present.