Call for Proposals for Indigenous Sex Sorted Semen Production Technology for Bovine Semen by Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying

The Office of Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India is facilitating Call for Proposals for Indigenous Sex Sorted Semen Production Technology for Bovine Semen by Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying

Artificial insemination (AI) is the process of collecting sperm cells from a male animal and manually depositing them into the reproductive tract of a female by a Veterinarian or a trained Artificial Insemination Technician (AIT). A specific number of sperm cells are collected in a straw known as Frozen Semen Dose (FSD) which are produced in Certified Stations across the country known as Semen Stations. The FSD produced is stored in Liquid Nitrogen. The conventional FSD produced in Semen Stations generally produce male and female calves in 50:50 ratio, as for instance, if Artificial Insemination of 100 Conventional FSD produces 40 calves, 20 is expected to be male calves and 20 female calves.

With mechanisation of Agriculture, utility of male bovines has been reduced. Farmers are not willing to maintain Bullocks for agriculture or any other draft work. Hence, male calves born at farmer house have become a liability. Farmers often let the male calves loose which are resulting into increase in stray animal population.

Technology is required to produce FSD wherein only female calves can be produced with more than 90% accuracy of producing desired sex of calves. Extensive use would also increase the number of female animals thereby increasing income of farmers through sale of female animals or by sale of milk.

At present there are technologies of foreign origin and limited number of Sexed/Sex Sorted FSD are made available to the dairy farmers at high cost. Indigenous technology is required so as to enable the Department to make it available to farmers at a low cost thereby making dairying more remunerative to famers.

Timeline:

The last date to apply is 30th April 2023

To know more and apply.