ITC division's initiative to revive Ongole bulls

ITC Limited-ILTD Division has conceived a project to revive the world-famous Ongole breed bulls and cows, which have become endangered species, under a cattle development programme. The company has already allocated Rs 2.5 lakh to identify areas in Prakasam district where pure line Ongole breed bulls are still available.

ITC is implementing an ambitious Sunehrakal (golden future) programme in Andhra Pradesh, and has so far spent Rs 2.7 crore on seven programmes in partnership with six NGOs in four districts under corporate social responsibility. The cattle development scheme is part of it, V Vijay Vardhan, regional manager (south), ITC Social Development Initiatives, told Business Standard.

As a prelude, the tobacco conglomerate has sponsored a Gandhian institute "� Bharatiya Agro Industries Foundation (BAIF) "� to organise artificial insemination (AI) of local buffalo and cow breeds (non-descript) with Murrah and Jersy semen respectively. ITC has so far spent Rs 30 lakh on the cattle development programme in the most backward areas of Prakasam district.

A breeder association has also been formed with 5,000 farmers as members. So far 1,149 cattle have been inseminated, of which 299 are examined and 143 cattle conceived, while six of them gave birth to calves.

The scheme, which is under implementation in five clusters based at Pokur, Vvpalem, Chinnairatapalem, Donakonda and Chinnaalwalpadu, each with 12 villages, has kindled hopes among farmers to regain past cattle wealth. Another cluster is proposed at Lingasamudram. The scheme would soon be extended to Guntur district too.

ITC paid Rs 40 for AI per animal. While the buffalo born through AI would give 7-10 litres of milk per day from the fourth year, the local breed buffaloes give only 2-3 litres. Cows born through AI mature in three years and give 8-10 litres of milk.

BAIF is also training farmers in making organic fertilisers, NADEP, and vermi composts, and azola cattle feed. NADEP, cheapest but most fertile, is named after its developer, a Maharashtra farmer, Nanasaheb Devaraj Pandre.

With financial help from ITC, farmers have set up 47 NADEP (unit cost Rs 100) and 177 vermi (unit cost Rs 750) compost units in 25 villages. In all, 1,149 cattle have been administered vaccination to check foot and mouth disease (FMD) and 800 have been vaccinated against haemorrhage septicaemia and black quarter disease (HSBQ).