The Kerala Livestock Development Board (KLDB) on Monday launched a scheme to distribute sex-sorted bull semen for producing female calves under an accelerated breed improvement programme for the dairy sector.
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Minister for Animal Husbandry J. Chincurani inaugurated the distribution. The scheme, implemented under the Centre’s Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM) scheme, is expected to trigger a ‘milk revolution’ in the State, the KLDB said.
Semen-sexing technology makes it possible to beget female calves with more than 90% accuracy, and the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), the Government of India, had cleared the accelerated breed improvement programme for getting assured pregnancy, KLDB said.
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Under the scheme, KLDB offers two artificial inseminations (AI) per animal on payment of ₹500. In case the animal fails to get pregnant even after two AIs with sexed semen, KLDB will return the amount.
Ms. Chinchurani also launched ADAPT (Application for Data Analysis in Progeny Testing), a software/application developed by KLDB in collaboration with the Digital University. ADAPT brings the data in the herd book scheme and the progeny-testing programme under one umbrella.
District panchayat president D. Suresh Kumar, KLDB managing director R. Rajeev and senior officials were among those present.