New Delhi: In his annual Vijaya Dashami speech on 8 October, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat had questioned the government’s plans to import frozen Gir bull semen from Brazil to increase the yield of this indigenous breed.
Bhagwat said it was Brazil that had imported these bovines from India, an indigenous breed native to Gir and its surrounding regions in Gujarat, to improve the South American nation’s local varieties.
“Why bother…we have Gir cow…it’s good. It gives 28-30 litre of milk and is found across Gujarat. Now, what is the need to ask it from Brazil? Swadeshi (Gir) is here. They (Brazil) should come, we will give,” Bhagwat said in his address.
The RSS chief had made a factually correct point but overlooked a key aspect on why India wants to import frozen semen of ‘Girlonda’ — the name by which the breed is referred to in Brazil. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the average milk yield of the Brazilian variety is over 120 per cent more than the Indian breed.
In the 1940s, 18 Gir cows were given to Brazil by the then Maharaja Krishna Kumarsinhji Bhavsinhji Gohil of Bhavnagar state in Gujarat. Gir went on to be referred as ‘Gyr’ in the South American nation and was subsequently crossbred with Holstein, a Dutch variety, to create the hybrid ‘Girolando’. This breed proliferated rapidly across Brazil and contributed to about 80 per cent of the nation’s milk production. It was registered officially in 1989 by Brazil’s agriculture ministry.
India had in 2018 signed an memorandum of understanding with Brazil for 1 lakh doses of frozen Gir bull semen for artificial insemination to increase the indigenous breed’s yield.
Also read: Mohan Bhagwat throws a challenge at Modi, revives ‘Swadeshinomics’ amid economic crisis
‘Low healthy Gir variety in India’
The average milk yield of the Gir in India is 1,590 kg per lactation, with a record production of 3,182 kg and a low fat content of 4.5 per cent. In comparison, the Brazilian breed average 3,500 kg per lactation, with a world record production of 17.120 kg by the cow Profana de Brasília.
Speaking to ThePrint over phone, Guru Prasad Singh, a dairy expert at the Institute of Agricultural Sciences of Banaras Hindu University, said India has abysmally low healthy Gir variety for cross-breeding experiments.
“Over a period of time, the indigenous breed has been affected by diseases in the reproductive organ. Also, the breed was no longer required because of increasing mechanisation in Indian agriculture that resulted in a decline of its population,” Singh said.
He also explained how Brazil, with a high meat consumption requirement, has increased the cattle weight from an average 600 kg to 900 kg by altering feeding, breeding and management methods.
‘Experts fear import of diseases’
Livestock experts have, however, cautioned against importing frozen semen of the Brazilian variety of Gir and cited the fear of diseases.
A genetic scientist at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly, who did not want to be named, told ThePrint there have been apprehensions about frozen Brazilian cow semen leading to newer diseases in India.
“The Holstein-Friesian cow breed, which were brought in India in the 1990’s from New Zealand brought diseases like the Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) and Bovine Virus Diarrhoea (BVD) with them,” the scientist added.
The expert also said IBR and BVD are contagious diseases caused by a virus responsible for abortions and possible respiratory infections such as “pink eye type” and foot lesions in bovines.
“IBR and BVD came to India in the 1990s but was detected only in 2001, resulting in a drastic decline of healthy bulls for breeding. Similarly, a new disease can cause havoc to Indian cattle even before it is detected,” he added.
Also read: Lack of Vedic knowledge causing wars & destroying environment, says Mohan Bhagwat
For all the scientists who commented here little knows that holstein and holstein cross breed producing milk that has A1 protein is bad for human consumption regardless of being grass fed or organics, which is why people in USA, NewZealand, Australia, Europe are rushing to A2 or more nutritious milk produced by Indian breeds (whos semen is exported out from India over years). The NZ company A2 milk stock has shot up to $8 billion in matter of couple of years is no magic. Before eating Whatever print’s halfassed brain vomits, please understand or at least try to see if there is an other side to the story.
e print seems to be saddened about about Brazil’s business loss!! The deal’s benefit is not for India it only for Brazil, that’s because the semen should be always imported for the insemination, because the bulls are only in brazil. We will be always depended to Brazil for the dose of semen. The veterinary bodies of India should be treated responsible for the health of local breeds! As MOhan Bhagat told we have rich breeds locally available with the A1 milk so we have to enrich the local breeds! May be people should plan to have milk from local breeds and strive to preserve the local breeds by knowing the heritage and support the local breeders! We in tamilnadu for the great Marina jallikattu protest brought the oldest game of jallikattu by which the local breeds like’ kankeyam ’ are been bred and maintained. We have a great exotic breeds which produce healthy milk which unlike the milk of girolando which have the ability of increase in weight kids and make them obese and make girls attain puberty earlier like the defects of broiler chicken! The Brazilian cows are been genetically modified for beef and milk like milk producing machines!
“the gentleman’s knowledge of science is limited. he should study more from his own unbiased experts before he can speak so confidently on matters he can not understand!
he is free to have his opinion. but how can he desire india be doomed of development?
brazil and other countries all import whatever is good for them. we too should do the same.”
Bro High quantity milk cannot be compromised to high quality A2 milk. Thats the diffrence.
Its about quality and not quantity, its you Pandey who is missing the point and not RSS chief, do you know about A2 milk ? harmful effects of A1 milk and how Desi breed is connected to A2 milk ? Its is well known fact that desi breed don’t give high milk output but they provide real milk.