Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes (CIRB) has witnessed a marked increase in demand for the germ plasm of Murrah buffaloes for artificial insemination (AI), after a Murrah buffalo 'Lakshmi' was sold for `25 lakh in Singhwa village.
The high yield of low-cholesterol milk, sale value of female offspring and rising demand in other states have assured farmers of benefits of Murrah buffalo rearing.
CIRB director Inderjit Singh told mediapersons here today that Murrah had become the breed of choice among farmers due to its ability to easily adapt, strong resistance to diseases, and profitability.
“We have increased the production of buffalo germ plasm units from 50,000 to 60,000 per year. The state government has also announced incentives for farmers and owners of Murrah buffaloes,” he said.
“Our country has 20 crore cows and 11 crore buffaloes, but 55% of the milk comes from buffaloes. Our country earned `13,000 crore last year through bovine meat export. To improve the Murrah breed, we have purchased high-quality bulls,” he claimed.
Muklan village former sarpanch Sube Singh Arya said, “The state government has declared our village as 'Murrah village' because more than 600 farmers keep Murrah buffaloes. It has given a special `6-lakh grant to the panchayat to purchase quality germ plasm of these buffaloes.”
{{/usCountry}}Muklan village former sarpanch Sube Singh Arya said, “The state government has declared our village as 'Murrah village' because more than 600 farmers keep Murrah buffaloes. It has given a special `6-lakh grant to the panchayat to purchase quality germ plasm of these buffaloes.”
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