Breeding centres: Agriculture ministry signs MoU with Brazil

The Agriculture ministry has signed a memorandum of understanding with Brazil for technical cooperation in setting up animal breeding centres.

On the occasion of former PM AB Vajpayee's birth anniversary, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Radha Mohan Singh laid the stone of Animal Breeding Centre of Excellence in Motihari where he said under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission, this Centre of Excellence is being set up at a total cost of Rs 33.8 crore with 100 percent contribution by the centre.

The minister further stated that an MoU has been signed with EMBRAPA, Brazil for technical cooperation to build this centre. He claimed that a state-of-the-art IVF lab, shed for 100 high quality genetic potential cows, modern sheds to keep 150 recipient cows, modern training centre, genomic lab will be built.

"There will also be production of embryo through IVF here. Today, work plan document has been signed between India and Brazil," he said.

Singh further pointed a Gokul Gram is being set up in Buxar and an amount of Rs 7.9 crore has been approved and Rs 5 crore has been released to the state. "It will play a significant role in preserving and promoting the state's indigenous breeds. This Gokul Gram aims at primarily preserving and promoting Bachaur cattle breed. This Gokul Gram will house 500 animals of high genetic properties out of which 300 of them will be reproductive animals," he stated.

He said 1,250 Multi-purpose Artificial Insemination Technician for Rural India (MAITRI), 4 new Artificial Insemination training Centres and liquid nitrogen transport and distribution systems are being strengthened. He said under the pilot project artificial insemination with sex-sorted semen for upto 2,500 animals will be covered through sex-sorted semen of indigenous breeds.