Sh. Radha Mohan Singh, Hon’ble Union Minister for Agriculture, Govt, of India has briefed about the Rashtriya Gokul Mission. This mission aims to enhance the productivity of the indigenous breeds of India. RAJUVAS, realizing the importance of improving indigenous breeds as social responsibility, has started conservation and improvement work through its Livestock Research Stations (LRSs) with the concept of Heritage Gene Banking in Gaushala and farmers. The LRSs of University are now acting as centres for the development of indigenous breeds and a dependable source for supply of high genetic breeding stock to the farmers and Gaushala in the breeding tract. At present, RAJUVAS is promoting the conservation and development of six indigenous cattle breeds as follows:
- Rathi Cattle Breeding Farm at LRS, Bikaner and LRS, Nohar (Hanumangarh)
- Tharparkar Cattle Breeding Farm at LRS, Chandan (Jaisalmer) and LRS, Beechwal (Bikaner)
- Kankarej Cattle Breeding Farm, LRS, Kodamdesar (Bikaner)
- Sahiwal Cattle Breeding Farm, LRS, Kodamdesar (Bikaner)
- Gir Cattle Breeding Farm at LRS, Vallabhnagar (Udaipur)
- Malvi Cattle Breeding Farm at Dug, Jhalawar.
After formation of RAJUVAS in May 2010, consolidated efforts have been made to improve selected indigenous cattle breeds like Rathi, Tharparkar, Kankarej, Gir and Sahiwal. The University has proud possession of the best indigenous cattle of these five breeds. Scientific breeding and management have led to achieving peak yield of 25 litres per day and the lactation yield has reached to 5000 litres per lactation from some of the indigenous cattle breeds. It is estimated that around 90% of rural household owes indigenous cattle as part of their households. There is tremendous scope in improving indigenous cattle breeds by amalgamating traditional husbandry practices with modem scientific tools.
RAJUVAS has developed elite class animals of indigenous breeds that are producing much more milk than the others. RAJUVAS has also distributed around 450 elite class and disease free high genetic makeup breeding bulls/ bull calves to Gaushalas and progressive farmers, for converting non-descript into high producing cattle population of a particular breed.
University is moving ahead with the concept that by using best upgrading and management practices and improved nutrition it would be possible to generate herds of indigenous cattle breeds with high genetic value at Gaushalas and farmers leading to the creation of heritage gene banks spread throughout the state outside the University farms.
Read more: https://rajuvas.org/flagship-programmes/
