Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government will be holding a mega training camp for paravets on October 21, where they will be trained to carry out artificial insemination in cattle.
The move is aimed at increasing the speed of the artificial insemination programme, through which the department of animal husbandry hopes to address the state’s milk production capacity, improve breed and ensure more female cattle.
Emphasising on the need for artificial insemination using sex selected semen, minister for animal husbandry Dharmpal Singh said that the training camp should be held in all districts of the state on October 21, using the Bharat Pashudhan app.
“To increase the pace of artificial insemination among the cattle using sex-selected semen, there is a need for regular monitoring of the programme and uploading data on the portal so that it can be monitored centrally. In districts where the targets are not met, the department will seek an explanation from officials concerned,” the minister said.
The programme is important for UP on several counts. Initially started to address the issue of stray cattle, largely males which are abandoned when they were of no use to the farmer, the programme will ensure that more females are born through its use of sex-selected semen.
Use of superior quality semen from selected males will also ensure better progeny with higher milk production capacity.
An official said that UP has the largest number of cattle in the country but is currently second in terms of milk production, behind Rajasthan.
The state is also promoting setting up of milk production companies, cooperatives with only women members on the line of the Balinee Milk Producer Company in Jhansi, to ensure that milk production and collection sees an increase while simultaneously empowering women farmers and cattle owners.
Under the Mahila Samarth Yojna, the government has operationalised the Saamarthya Milk producer company in Rae Bareli and is set to begin two more milk producing companies, the Sri Baba Gorakhnath Milk Producer Company in Gorakhpur and Srijanee Milk Producer Company in Bareilly.
–IANS