Minister for Animal Husbandry J. Chinchurani has said that steps will be taken to protect and propagate local cattle breeds. She said the department targeted producing 1,000 heads of local breeds within two years. She was speaking at a function organised near Perumbavoor, where two bulls of the Periyar Dwarf or Kuttampuzha Dwarf variety were adopted by the Kerala Livestock Development Board (KLDB) on Friday.
The programme to protect the local variety of cattle is being undertaken with the support of Kuttampuzha Kullan Pasu Prajanana Paripalana Sangham, a voluntary body dedicated to the protection and propagation of the variety of cattle. The Minister said efforts would be made to ensure the protection of the cattle variety and fodder production would be supported through wage payment for the workers.
The function to adopt the two bulls was organised at the Mar Augen High School in Kodanad. Eldhose Kunnappilly, MLA, presided over the programme, and Koovappady panchayat president Mini Babu was among those who spoke.
The Periyar Dwarf variety is found along River Periyar in places such as Kuttampuzha, Kodanad, Malayattoor, Kalady, Panamkuzhi, Paneli, Vadattupara and Charupara. The bulls are adopted for semen collection for both genomic studies and propagation through artificial insemination centres.
KLDB authorities said the bulls were being adopted after studying their characteristics and ascertaining they did not carry any diseases. The pair of bulls will be quarantined for a month at KLDB’s Puthur facility in Thrissur district before they are tested again for diseases. They will then be sent to the Kulathupuzha facility in Kollam district for semen collection.