Hisar institute to help Saarc nations increase milk yield

HISAR: Seventeen veterinary scientists from five South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) countries completed an international training programme on “herd health management of dairy buffalo” at the Central Institute for Research on Buffalo (CIRB) here on Saturday.

Addressing a press conference, CIRB director Dr Inderjeet Singh said: “During the training programme, the scientists visited various places in Hisar, Jind and Bhiwani. They studied the Murrah buffalo to overcome milk shortage in their countries, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.”

The Dhaka-based Saarc Agriculture Centre (SAC) has sought Murrah bull’s germplasm to upgrade their indigenous buffalo breed for improving their milk yield.

SAC director Dr Shaikh Mohammad Bokhtiar, who is visiting the Hisar institute, told the mediapersons: “Saarc had sought 1,000 doses of Murrah bull semen for cross-breeding the nondescript breeds in other countries of the regional grouping.”

“With 53% of its milk yield coming from buffaloes, India stands third in the region after Nepal (70%) and Pakistan (63%). Bangladesh has mere 5%, and it is similar in Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bhutan. Murrah bull semen will help these countries improve their milk yield,” he said.

Saarc has sought 1,000 doses of Murrah bull semen for cross-breeding the nondescript breeds in other countries of the regional grouping. It will help Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bhutan improve their milk yield. SM BOKHTIAR, Saarc Agriculture Centre head