Bull Semen Import – A pragmatic experiment

Bull Semen Import – A pragmatic experiment

News: The NDDB recently decided to import 40,000 doses of Bull semen from Brazil to boost milk production.

Status of Milk production in India:
• India is the largest producer of milk in the world. In 2022-23, the country produced 230.6 million tonnes of milk.

What is the purpose behind importing Bull semen from Brazil?
• The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) of India has imported 40,000 doses of bull semen from Brazil to boost milk production in the country. This is the first time India has imported bull semen for this purpose.
• The imported semen will be used in artificial insemination to increase the number of native breeds such as Gir and Kankrej.
• The aim is to raise their milk production. Brazil has preserved the original breed of Gir cows that was gifted by the Maharaja of
Bhavnagar to Brazil in the 18th century.
• This development comes at a time when the Indian government is targeting to produce 330 million tonnes of milk per annum by FY34.
• As the world’s largest milk producer, India’s current milk production is on par with its consumption. Therefore, it needs to find ways
to increase output as demand is expected to continue rising.

What are the issues with this initiative?
• The genetic hybrids may not necessarily acquire all the traits sought to be passed along.
• Imports often face resistance in India, especially in the field of livestock farming, due to opposition from cattle breeders.