Initiatives launched under Rashtriya Gokul Mission

News: Prime Minister has launched several initiatives under Rashtriya Gokul Mission.

Facts:

About the Initiatives:

• Semen Station: It has been established in Purnea, Bihar to develop and conserve indigenous breeds of Bihar and meet demand of semen doses of eastern and north eastern States.
• IVF lab: It has been established at Animal Sciences University,Patna for propagating elite animals of indigenous breeds and thereby enhancing milk production and productivity manifold.
• Sex sorted semen in artificial insemination(AI): It has been launched at Baroni Milk Union in Bihar.Through the use of sex sorted semen in AI only female calves can be produced (with more than 90% accuracy).This will help double the growth rate of milk production in the country.

Additional Facts:

• Rashtriya Gokul Mission: It was launched in 2014 under the National Programme for Bovine Breeding and Dairy Development.
• Nodal Ministry: Department of Animal Husbandry and dairying, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
• Objectives:
  • development and conservation of indigenous breeds
  • breed improvement programme for indigenous cattle breeds to improve their genetic makeup and increase the stock 
  • enhancement of milk production and productivity
  • upgradation of nondescript cattle using elite indigenous breeds like Gir, Sahiwal, Rathi, Deoni, Tharparkar, Red Sindhi and
  • distribution of disease free high genetic merit bulls for natural service.
• Implementation: It is being implemented through “State Implementing Agencies(SIA) viz Livestock Development Boards”.
• Gokul Grams: They will act as Centres for development of Indigenous Breeds and a dependable source for supply of high genetic breeding stock to the farmers in the breeding tract.