To ensure better milk production in the state, the Punjab government has launched an extensive mission to develop pure breed of the Sahiwal cattle under the Gokul Gram Yojna. Various other projects promoting the cattle breed were also being started in the state.Disclosing this here today, Animal Husbandry Minister Punjab Mr. Gulzar Singh Ranilke said that Sahiwal breed was considered to be among the best breeds in cattle in Punjab befor Indo-Pak partition. Punjab government was determined not only to protect this indigenous cow breed but also to increase the number of these cows.Divulging statistical details on this, the Minister said that as per the livestock census of 2012 there are about 38,446 Sahiwal breed of cows are left in Punjab. Taking it as a mission, the Punjab government has launched number of schemes aimed at increasing the number of such cattle.
The Punjab government has already worked out the modalities of setting up of the Gokul Gram in the state in which about 600high-genetic breed of Sahiwal cows would be housed and this would be further developed with highly scientific techniques so that the milk production could also be increased subsequently.Adding further, the Minister said that under the strengthening of the cattle and bull breeding, the Punjab government, under National Project on Cattle and Bull Breeding, the Bull Mother Farm in Nabha and government Semen Bank in Ropar have been reinforced with emphasis on producing good quality bulls whose semen would be used to further improve the Sahiwal breeds through artificial insemination. The government was all set to make this technique reach every cattle farmer besides being available in all the government cattle breeding farms.
The National Gokul Yojna was being implemented in the entire state and under this scheme; another hi-tech Bull Mother Farm has been set up under the Rashtriya Krishi Scientific Yojna at Village Rauni in district Patiala. Under this scheme the Animal Husbandry department would identify and buy the Sahiwal Cows producing more milk. To encourage the cattle farmers rearing Sahiwal Cows, the Punjab government would honour them with cash award besides giving them certificates. The identified cows would be administered free of cost vaccination and laboratory test during conceiving period.