The state plans to reduce the population of male cattle to the minimum possible, while increasing the population of milk-producing female cattle.
Chandigarh: Haryana is all set to create a new record in gender selection — the state plans to reduce the population of male cattle to the minimum possible, while increasing the population of milk-producing female cattle.
Presenting the annual budget in the state assembly Friday, finance minister Capt. Abhimanyu said in order to tackle the problem of stray bulls as well as increasing milk production by increasing the number of female cattle, the government proposed to adopt “Sexed Semen technology” on a massive scale in 2018-19. The ‘sexed semen’, has 90 per cent sperms carrying only the X-chromosome and produces only females.
“Under this technology, about 90 per cent of calves born would be female, thus solving the problem of stray bulls and simultaneously ensuring increased availability of female cattle for milk production,” he said.
Sources added that the government is expected to collaborate with the US for the technology, which is already being tried in Gujarat.
Save our cattle
Haryana was among the first states in the country to enact the Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, imposing a strict ban on cow slaughter apart from curtailing smuggling of cows outside the state.
While a large number of stray cows have been housed in gaushalas, the Haryana Gau Sewa Aayog provided for the construction of ‘nandishalas’ to house stray bulls. However, stray bulls continue to be a menace on the roads.
Last week, addressing a press conference, CM Manohar Lal Khattar had appealed to the people not to abandon milch cows, adding that the state government had started the process of tagging all the cattle in the state. He said a fine of Rs 5,000 would be imposed on those found abandoning their cattle.
Measures to develop Murrah buffalo
The Murrah breed of buffalo also mentioned by Abhimanyu in his budget speech.
“Haryana is the proud repository of the world famous Murrah breed of buffalo. For further development, propagation and conservation of Murrah germplasm, I propose to establish Murrah Research and Skill Development Centre at Kheri Lochab, Narnaund, Hisar during 2018-19,” he said.
“This Centre would go a long way in ensuring the holistic development of the Murrah breed of buffaloes, providing skill development training to women, unemployed youth, and farmers, for value added products of dairy/dairy farming for self-employment.”
Other announcements
No new taxes were proposed by the finance minister as he presented the fourth budget of the BJP-led government in the state. The state is due for assembly elections next year.
Apart from a reduction in state VAT from 12.5 per cent to 6 per cent on natural gas, affecting 350 units in the state, there is no other direct relief envisaged in this year’s budget.
The finance minister has proposed a budget of Rs 1.15 lakh crore for 2018-19, almost 12.6 per cent higher than last year, while the estimated state debt had been pegged at Rs 1.61 lakh crore.
So are you going to have ONLY artificial-insemination for cattle to ensure that? There is another way to do so, but Bl#wJ#bber’s beef with beef (ok, veal) obviously is an obstacle!