Under multi-prong strategy to increase the income of the peasantry, the Punjab Government has decided to import 50,000 doses of sexed semen to ensure the birth of female calves.It was disclosed by Balbir Singh Sidhu, Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries, while chairing a high level meeting of the department. He said that the motive of this initiative is to once again bring about the white revolution by promoting the domestic breed of cows and to increase the production of milk. He said that the birth of drone male calves would be discouraged by injecting sexed semen to ensure the birth of female calves. He said that on one hand, this initiative would help in decreasing the population of stray cattles roaming on the roads, on the other hand the female calves would produce more milk to supplement the income of the farmers.Mr. Sidhu said that with a view to strengthened the embryo transfer technology program being run at Patiala; the state government has been successful in getting a grant of Rs.7.73 crore from Government of India.
He said that under this program embryo from one milch animal is transferred to another animal to boost milk production.Dr. G Vajralingam, Additional Chief Secretary of the department apprised the minister that the state government has been successful in getting grant of Rs.5 crore from Government of India for extension and building the capacity of piggery and goatery farms. He said that by straitening the pig farms at Nabha, high breed piglets will be provided to the farmers. He said that the extension and capacity building of piggery farm of Kulle Majra village in Patiala district in also on the cards in this scheme. He said that in the farm, the birth of beetal breed goats would be encouraged. Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu informed that a state of the art pig processing unit would be set up at Mattewara village of district Ludhiana, whereas Rs.1 crore would be spent to bring the animal under insurance cover.Mr. Amarjeet Singh, Director, Animal Husbandry, Mr. Inderjeet Singh, Direct Dairy Development and Mr. Madan Mohan, Director, Fisheries were also present in the meeting.