Minister distributes imported semen to dairy farmers for better milk yield
Minister for animal husbandry, fisheries and dairy development Gulzar Singh Ranike on Thursday distributed over 36,000 semen doses to dairy farmers of 12 districts at Chatiwind village in Amritsar.
Minister for animal husbandry, fisheries and dairy development Gulzar Singh Ranike on Thursday distributed over 36,000 semen doses to dairy farmers of 12 districts at Chatiwind village in Amritsar.
The department of animal husbandry organised a function for the benefit of farmers who have adopted modern techniques to increase their income.
Officials said the department had imported 1.60 lakh doses of high-quality semen straws of HF cows from France and made it available to farmers at highly subsidised rates. The female calves born from the semen would yield high quantity of milk.
The milk yield of the cross-bred cows from these semen straws would be 8,000-9,000 litres per lactation, with a fat content of four per cent.
As many as 4.60 lakh doses of semen imported earlier from USA and Canada have been distributed among farmers who are currently having high-milk yielding cows in their dairy farms.
The minister said Rs 176 crore had been spent on the construction and repair of department buildings in the past couple of years.
Rs 20 crore has also been released for the repair of 550 veterinary institutions, he informed.
Besides, nine new polyclinics have been set up at the district level and three new polyclinics are under construction, he said, adding that a new veterinary college is being constructed at a cost of Rs 69 crore at Rampura Phul.
The minister said a modern cattle farm is being constructed at a cost of Rs 43 crore in Rauni of
Patiala district.
The department has initiated the process of filling vacant posts of 115 veterinary officers and 175 veterinary inspectors, he added.
The minister invited the farmers to attend the international-level agriculture summit at Chappar Chiri in Mohali to be held from February 16 to 19. The minister honoured progressive dairy farmers.
HS Sandha, director, animal husbandry, Punjab, said the animal husbandry department will import sexed semen, which produces only female calves.