KOCHI: Kerala does not have any direct connection with the rare 'Sahiwal' cattle breed which has its origin in the Punjab province in Pakistan. Sahiwal is counted among the best dairy breeds in that country as well as India.Now, the Kerala Livestock Development Board (KLDB) is on a mission to raise the breed's base stock using the embryo transfer technology as part of a Central Government-funded project.
“The KLDB has decided to buy 50 mature ‘Sahiwal’ cattle from Punjab to raise its stock via embryo transfer. At present, the KLDB is raising calves of the Vechur breed using the technology. For this, the Centre has sanctioned `2.49 crore. Once it is completed, the KLDB will start commercial calving of 'Sahiwal’ cattle using embryo transfer,” said KLDB Managing Director Jose James.
Project nodal officer J Anoop said the KLDB harvested around eight embryos from a pure breed Vechur cow and inserted them into the uterus of two recipient cross-breed cows.“This was done via super-ovulation – a process in which the donor cow was given hormone treatment to produce multiple ova – and insemination at Mattupetti farm in October. Veterinarians are monitoring the recipient cows. In a couple of weeks it will be known whether or not the process was successful,” said Anoop.
The KLDB has also made arrangements for the direct embryo transfer in five more Vechur cows at Kulathupuzha farm in Thiruvananthapuram in December. The result of the embryo transfer will be analysed in the coming months. Based on it, the KLDB will conduct embryo transfer in ‘Sahiwal’ cattle. Post the country's partition, the base stock of the 'Sahiwal' breed had declined in India, while its population remains relatively stable on the other side of the border. The Livestock Census of 2012 put the number of 'Sahiwal' cattle left in Punjab at 38,446.