Only the Gir indigenous cow breed is being promoted under Rashtriya Gokul Mission; here is why

Subject: Schemes

Context:

Instead of improving the quality of all the indigenous breeds, as envisioned under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission scheme, it has ended up promoting only one indigenous variety, the Gir cow, across the country.

Rashtriya Gokul Mission:

Launched in 2014 by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
It is India’s flagship scheme to improve indigenous cattle breeds.
Two major components: research and development of high-quality semen to increase the chances of female calf births and the setting up of semen stations to ensure easy access to high-quality semen for livestock rearers across the country.
Aim: Research on a host of high milk-yielding indigenous bovine varieties and then depending on the geographical location, the high-quality semen will be used to impregnate other indigenous varieties.
Objectives:

To enhance productivity of bovines and increase milk production in a sustainable manner using advanced technologies.
To propagate use of high genetic merit bulls for breeding purposes.
To enhance Artificial insemination coverage through strengthening breeding network and delivery of Artificial insemination services at farmers doorstep.
To promote indigenous cattle & buffalo rearing and conservation in a scientific and holistic manner.

Indigenous Cow varieties: Sahiwal, thar parkar, Red Sindhi, Gir, Badri cows and Hariana etc.
Impact of the programme: The country witnessed a 70 per cent jump in the population of purebred Gir cows (from 1.38 million to 2.3 million) from 2013 to 2019.

Funding Pattern:

All the components of Scheme will be implemented on 100% grant-in-aid basis except the components of: i) accelerated breed improvement programme under the component subsidy of Rs 5000 per IVF pregnancy will be made available to participating farmers as GoI share; ii) promoting sex sorted semen under the component subsidy upto 50% of the cost of sex sorted semen will be made available to participating farmers and iii) establishment of breed multiplication farm under the component subsidy upto 50% of the capital cost maximum upto Rs.2.00 crore of the project will be made available to entrepreneur.

Issue arising in the scheme:

Almost all states are demanding Gir varieties for carrying out artificial insemination.
Why is there a high demand for Gir cows only?
- The mission was started in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh where milk production of indigenous bovine varieties impregnated with Gir increased by three to four litres a day. Subsequently, livestock rearers across the country started to demand only Gir.
- Being a native of the west and central parts of India, Gir has the ability to adapt to the entire central belt and northern and southern stretches. Sahiwal, a native of Northern India or Tharparkar, from the Northwest, does not adapt as well to new environments.
- Gir has the highest milk production among indigenous varieties at 18-20 litres a day.
During White Revolution, the country imported exotic breeds like Jersey to crossbreed with Indian varieties. Though the country’s milk production increased, it did not translate into higher income for livestock rearers as the crossbred cows were more prone to diseases and required more care.

Solution:

Genetically superior cows should be identified and bred from among the indigenous cows.
Currently, almost 30 percent of all calves in the country are born through artificial insemination. The guidelines of the Mission target increasing it to 70 per cent.

Source: DownToEarth