Animal husbandry is an age-old practice that shaped the country’s dietary culture across regions. As technology has progressed, activities like farming, animal husbandry, and cattle breeding are rising in the high-tech wave and revolutionising practices to achieve optimum output and high profits. Innovations like bovine pregnancy rapid test kits, genetic selection kits, automated feeding systems and heat detection systems are rapidly shaping the future of bovine breeding.
The government has also introduced several schemes to help cattle breeders and rural milk corporations make the best use of these innovations and technological developments through structured and goal-oriented investments. Some of the notable ones are the Rashtriya Gokul Mission, the National Programme for Bovine Breeding (NPBB) and the National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD).
The Indian central government launched a robust and well-thought-out scheme named Rashtriya Gokul Mission in December 2014. Under this plan, it recognises the decreasing population of indigenous cattle and aims to rear and conserve this breed. The scheme was launched under The Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying, and Fisheries, and in 2021, it was placed under Rashtriya Pashudhan Vikas Yojna. Currently, it has a budget of INR 24 crores allocated between 2021 and 2026.
The Rashtriya Gokul Mission also strives to enhance milk yield and improve the efficiency of cattle farming to meet the rising demand for milk and dairy products. Finally, it also takes farmer welfare seriously. Therefore, it strives to make agricultural and animal husbandry practices sustainable and profitable for the farmers residing in the last miles of India. So, which products are reforming the bovine breeding scene in India?
Advanced and scientific product development is boosting safer and more structured animal husbandry practices in India. Some of the groundbreaking products are:
Pregnancy test kit for cow:
Advanced pregnancy kits show results in 20 minutes and make the breeding process more efficient. Veterinarians and breeders can maintain their livestock well, identify the pregnant cows and monitor their health.
Another important benefit of this kit is pregnancy detection in cattle in 28 days. Farming professionals can check if any cow is pregnant or not within 28 days post AI.
Other technological advancements can help in the later phase of the gestation period.
Artificial insemination gun: Artificial insemination guns help veterinarian doctors get a clear view of the cervix and the vagina for inseminating the cows. The modern machines connect to smartphones to give a better view of the pathway.
Thawing machine: Thawing machine is a useful digital tool that can be used during artificial insemination. It helps the breeders efficiently thaw the semen collected from a high-quality bull. It reduces human errors and makes the process more efficient and reliable. These machines also generate detailed reports, allowing the user to identify mistakes and rectify the process.
There are multiple benefits of advancement in cattle breeding. Some are discussed in the context of the method:
Crossbreeding: Breeding advancements are allowing better and more efficient cross-breeding among cows, improving the calves’ genetic compositions. Crossbreeding increases the survival rates of offspring, longevity and lifetime productivity. Therefore, in the end, it is also cost-effective.
Artificial insemination: Artificial insemination lets breeders to inseminate one cow at a time through a non-surgical and harmless technique. This method allows the study of the bull’s vitality in a single generation, which can take multiple generations to identify for natural breeding. Additionally, sperm of high quality can be used even after their death. Therefore, the genetic composition of the herd remains superior.
Embryo biopsy: Since embryo transfer is a common process in bovine breeding, embryo biopsy lets the breeder choose the specific kinds of embryos they want. These will introduce particular traits in the herd and will have various benefits. They can also choose the sex of the embryo.
Ovum pick-up: Ovum pick-up lets the breeders collect the egg cells from the cows’ ovaries without any surgeries. It is an ultimate tool for genetic gain. Ovum pick-up increases embryo yield and reduces the loss of female germplasm.
Years ago, who would have thought of using an early on-farm test of cow pregnancy for healthy bovine gestation cycles? Thanks to technology, advanced assisted reproductive technologies like IVF and ovum pick-up are reimagining bovine breeding and milk production in India. Prompt Diary Tech plays a key role in this transformation. The company is leveraging modern-day technology like artificial intelligence and process innovation to change India’s dairy technology sector. Mobile applications and elevated services are also adding to its rich portfolio of market offerings. Prompt Diary Tech is setting a standard for technological progress in dairy and product development and meeting the future needs of customers in India.
ART or artificial reproductive technologies are new-age technologies for cattle breeding that improve the cows’ gestation periods, the consequent birth and the herd. ART enhances the genetic development of the cows. Using artificial intelligence for bovine breeding also falls under ART. AI lets breeders identify superior bulls who can sire high-quality calves.
Biotechnology and modern technologies like AI can improve animal breeding by leaps and bounds. It allows successful cross-breeding, embryo transfers and In vitro fertilisation, all of which improve cattle quality and milk production. In India, where animal husbandry remains a large sector, biotechnology will play a vital role in the coming years.
Embryo transfer is a significant step towards improving the mix of the herd. It comprises basic steps like finding the right pair of donor and recipient cows, collecting the embryo after fertilisation, storing the workable embryo, and the last step is to place the embryo in the right recipient. A cow pregnancy rapid test can make the process more efficient.
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