India imports semen from Brazil : India has ordered 40 thousand doses of Gir bull semen from Brazil. Its purpose is to promote milk production. This step of the Indian government is being seen as a game-changer. Milk production will now be promoted in the country through artificial insemination. According to a report by India Today, South America had imported Gir cows in the early 1870s, which are famous for high milk production. It is expected that offspring of Gir cows will be born in India too. This semen is being given to those states including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, where Gir cows are found. The semen of Brazilian Gir bulls will produce offspring of such Gir cows, whose milk productivity capacity is 5-8 times more than normal. The population of Gir cows has decreased in India in recent decades. The government-owned organization National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has imported this semen. This will increase the milk production capacity of the indigenous breeds. This was being discussed for the last 3-4 years, in which success has now been achieved. The government has spent an amount of Rs 6 crore for this.
Good cows can give up to 60-70 liters of milk per day
An official of the Animal Husbandry Department of Gujarat said that these semen straws have been taken from 4 bulls of Brazil, which are performing best. In India, high class Gir cows will be inseminated with these and their offspring will be best performers. According to experts, if this is successful, then the average milk production of Gir cows can increase by 20-30 liters per day in the next decade. Good cows can give up to 60-70 liters of milk per day.
This is why India ordered semen
Due to high population, milk consumption is very high. The estimated consumption of milk/milk products in India in 2019 was 320 million liters per day and it is estimated to increase to 468 million liters by 2030. Therefore, the government is increasing the population of cows to meet this target. The report said that India produced 230.6 million tonnes of milk in FY 2023, an increase of 3.8% compared to a year ago and an increase of 22.8% compared to FY 2019.
Where is the maximum milk production
India is the world’s largest milk producing country. Then comes America and China. India’s share in milk production in the whole world is around 24 percent. In India, a cow gives an average of 8 liters of milk, which is very less compared to other countries. At the same time, some cows in Brazil give up to 40 liters of milk. However, the average milk production of cows there is 20-22 liters.