Haryana's department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, has speeded up the work of registration and certification of bovines for genetic improvement and regulating breeding activities.
A senior officer of the department said that to avoid further delay due to upcoming assembly elections followed by enforcement of model code of conduct and officials' involvement in election process, the department has set the target of completing registration and certification of bovines within three months.
Bovines will be certified and their owners issued certificate after the completion of necessary formality. The registration certificate will tell the breed characteristics, parentage and to some extent expected productivity of the animal. It will lead to setting up of ‘state herd book’ for each breed, the official said, adding the Animal Breeding Regulatory Authority will regulate the work of registering authority, certifying authority and all the breeding service providers.
The senior officer said that Haryana possesses 2.5 per cent of the bovine population of the country but contributes 98.09 lakh tonnes milk per year which is more than 5.6 per cent of the nation’s total milk production. Per capita per day milk availability of the State is quite high at 1005 gms against the national average of 375 gms.
Certification is going to impact lakhs of animals. As per 19th Livestock Census that took place in 2012, there were 78.93 lakh bovines in the state. The 20th Livestock Census is currently in progress.
Under the process of registration and certification, the owner will have to apply online for the registration of his animal. After that, a veterinary surgeon will go and verify the breed and its milk productivity. For certification, an owner has to apply online and experts will go and certify the animal for breeding. Registration is voluntary and will be based on self-disclosure online.
The Animal Registration Authority Committee has been formed and Dr Hardeep Singh, director general, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Haryana has been appointed as chairman for the implementation of Haryana Animal (Registration Certification and Breeding) Act 2019. Managing director, livestock development board, Dr Virender Singh is a member, veterinary surgeon Dr Narender Singh member and joint director Dr OP Chitkara, is the member secretary.
DG Hardeep Singh said that animal husbandry activities in the state play a pivotal role in the rural economy through a variety of contributions in the form of income generation, draft power, socio-economic upliftment, employment generation and better nutrition through livestock production of milk and others. The State is endowed with a tremendous potential for further growth of livestock sector over the next 10-15 years.
He said that for the registration and certification of bovines, team has been made at district level and they have been assigned such works with the direction of completing it without delay. Haryana Animal (Registration, Certification and Breeding) Bill, 2019, has been passed in the Assembly with an aim of genetic improvement and regulating breeding activities by way of registration and certification, he said, adding it will prevent victimisation of the owners of animals by way of unregulated breeding activity in the state.
This Act also provides for punishment if an owner offers uncertified bovine to impregnate cows or buffaloes. The Act will apply to all domestic animals, but initially it will be implemented on bovines and other species can be included after a fresh notification.
The direction general said that there is a provision of three authorities under the Act — registration authority, animal certification authority and animal breeding regulatory authority. The Act also intends to make it mandatory for all breeding service providers such as semen banks, IVF centres, embryo banks, or any other such centre serving the domestic animals to go in for registration.
Another department officer informed that to provide veterinary health care, diagnostic facilities, quality breeding services to enhance productivity, upgradation and conservation of indigenous breeds, quality control of feed among others, the registration of livestock through app ‘Har Pashu Ka Gyan’ is being done and 95 per cent of such works have been completed.
Pictures are a key component of the app. These will help distinguish the animals from one another. The enumerators can choose between breeds of the livestock in the app. The data includes age, sex, milk production, inter-calving period, vaccination, de-worming status and feeding practices, he said, adding the information collected will be linked to another app, ‘Har Pashu Ka Dhyan’, where owners can access their own data.
“With the help of this app, the Animal Husbandry Department can reach the owners and provide facilities like de-worming, artificial insemination services, pregnancy detection, delivery among others. The mobile numbers of owners are also being collected for communication, the officer said.