Punjab plans buffalo breed development centres

Concerned over decreasing population of buffaloes and low yield, Punjab plans to tie with two NGOs to undertake an intensive buffalo breed development and management programme by associating with them in the task. In the first phase, the NGOs will open 300 integrated buffalo development centres, each covering five to six villages, which later on will be extended to cover the entire state.

There were 6,170,730 buffaloes in the state in 1997, which further declined to 5,994,540 in 2003. In 2007, the population of buffaloes further declined and touched 5,035,630. Further, their yield has also gone down drastically over the years. As a result, the income of the farmers from the milk fetched too low because of the buffaloes being kept by them are very low yielders.

The current average yield of these buffaloes on the basis is about 4.5 litres. The average yield of the buffaloes in the state is about 1,300 litres per lactation of about 290 days.

On the initiative of the Punjab State Farmers Commission, the Punjab government has approved the project to establish 300 integrated buffalo development centres, each covering 5-6 villages in the first phase, which later on will extended to cover the entire state.

It has plans to propagate artificial insemination in buffaloes with semen of bulls with milk yielding potential of 4,000 litres per lactation.

So, Milkfed (Punjab State Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation Limited) has tied up with with NGOs namely JK Trust and BAIF. In the first phase, it would set up 300 integrated Buffalo Development centres in remote areas.

of the state like kandi area, border area and trans ghaggar region. Such centres shall function under the guidance of qualified veterinarians. It is Assumed that such centres working under close monitoring of Milkfed shall not only provide instant service to the farmers for Artificial Insemination of animals but also render service of deworming, vaccination, first aid, management and supply of fodder seed.

The project would be funded by the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) in collaboration with Punjab government, and will be implemented in the state over the next five years. According to sources in the department the NGOs will train the rural youth in managing each centre, which will cater to the villages in the area. It has plans to open 1 centre for 5 villages and local youth would be trained for taking care of the centre. It has plans to propagate Artificial Insemination in buffaloes with semen of bulls with milk yielding potential of 4000 litres per lactation.