Livestock Farming : Odisha state project to conserve native cattle breed

Bishnupada Sethi, fisheries and animal resources development (F&ARD) said that Odisha state government has started a project to brand and conserve native Binjharpuri cattle breed.

Binjharpuri cattle are found in Binjharpur, Bari, Sujanpur and Dasarathpur of Jajpur district and neighbouring Bhadrak and Kendrapada districts.

Department is thinking to set up a plant to process and sell Binjharpuri milk in association with Omfed, he added.

Odisha government started protection of indigenous breeds like Binjharpuri cattle under Odisha Bovine Breeding Policy, 2015. As a part of the process, seven Binjharpuri bull calves were procured from farmers and housed in Livestock Breeding Farm in Cuttack.

The calves would act as breeding bulls in future and are expected to inseminate cows, said K V K Patnaik, CEO of Odisha Livestock Resources Development Society (OLRDS).

The initiative is the first of its kind for conservation and improvement of newly- registered native cattle germ-plasm, claimed Prof S K Dash of department of animal breeding and genetics, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT).

Odisha had no registered cattle breed before 2010. In tune with National Bovine Breeding Policy, the state started cross-breeding with recognized breeds like Jersey and Holstein, he added. In 2010, indigenous breeds like Binjharpuri, Motu, Ghumusari and Khariar were registered at national level, he added.

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/