By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, MAY 14, 2018: COMMISSIONING a frozen semen station in Maranga, Purnea Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Radha Mohan Singh said that the frozen semen station is being set up at a cost of Rs 64 crore under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission with 100% contribution from the Central Government. Out of this, Rs 20 crore has already been released. He said the artificial insemination techniques can increase milk production and productivity. Currently, the artificial insemination is being done by CMOFED (Sudha) in Bihar. For artificial insemination, semen from high genetic merit bulls is needed.

Mr Singh elaborated that the frozen semen station in Purnea will be the first state-of-the-art semen production center of the country. The center will develop highly modern bull shade, semen processing lab, feed and godown, agricultural equipment, and other facilities. In this, 300 high genetic merit bulls will be kept and 50 lakhs of semen dose will be produced per year. Red Sindhi, Bachaur, Gangatiri, Sahiwal breeds will also be kept. With the establishment of this semen station, milk productivity of cows and buffaloes will increase rapidly in the state.

The Minister said the Rashtriya Gokul Mission was initiated in December 2014 with an aim to conserve and develop indigenous breeds. Proposals from Bihar under the Mission in 2015 and 2017 have been approved with a sum of 133.26 crore. Under the scheme, Rs 52.40 crore has been released to the state.