35l semen doses to be produced annually
The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) will set up a Regional Semen Station at Pratappur near Baripada in Mayurbhanj district in order to increase productivity in dairy cattle through genetic improvement and artificial insemination.
For this, an MoU was signed between the NDDB and the State Government at the State Secretariat on Thursday. Animal Resources Development Secretary Bishnupada Sethi and NDDB Managing Director Dillip Rath inked the MoU in the presence of Fisheries & ARD Minister Pradeep Maharathy, Chief Secretary Gokul Chandra Pati and NDDB Chairman T Nanda Kumar.
As per the MoU, the semen station will produce 35 lakh semen doses annually to cater to the increasing need of semen requirement not only of Odisha but also of other eastern States. The Govt has provided 127 acres of land at Kathapal and 7.8 acres of land at Pratappur to the NDDB free of cost.
While the breedable bovine population in Odisha is 46 lakh, the State is procuring 3.5 lakh semen doses from outside annually to meet the present requirement. By 2020, the requirement of semen doses will go up to 25 lakhs annually, Maharathy informed.