Govt. on a mission mode to increase population of Punganur cattle

It is targeted to increase the reproductive efficiency of cows by three to four-fold

As part of its livestock development programme, the government is focussing on the implementation of ‘Mission Punganur’ for improving the quality and numbers of the famous Punganur cattle, which are known for their nutritious milk and have proved to be effective in organic farming, in the next five years at Pulivendula University research centre.

According to an official release, the primary objectives of the project are to conserve and propagate the Punganur cattle and do rapid multiplication of the superior females through Embryo Transfer Technology (ETF).

Another important aspect of the project is to efficiently use low genetic merit cows as surrogates and produce elite offspring.

A three to four-fold increase in the reproductive efficiency of cows is targeted. The project envisages a production of at least 8.5 off-springs from each cow in five years compared to 2.5 off-springs during the same period from each cow under normal circumstances. A total of 1,690 offspring are expected to be produced from 200 superior donors.

Funds sanctioned

The government has sanctioned ₹69.36 crore to AP Centre for Advanced Research on Livestock Limited for Punganur cattle production using IVF technology.

Director of Animal Husbandry Amarendra Kumar has stated that Punganur breed milk has nutritive and medicinal values, and the numbers have come down to a few hundreds. Emphasis has, therefore, been laid on increasing their population.