ETT in the pipeline
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 08 2021: A project is in the pipeline to use Embryo Transfer Technology (ETT) to improve dairy farming, said scientists of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) Manipur Centre.

A cow born of the ETT (Embryo Transfer Technology) would produce about 60 litres of milk a day.

The project may be realised within 2 years, the scientists said during a meeting held at ICAR Lamphelpat today.

Scientists and experts of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) Manipur and ICAR-KVK Imphal West and Tropical genetics (TAG), Hyderabad were discussing the feasibility of the project.

The meeting was held under the banner "Backward Linkage Programme of Agro Farmer Producer Companies (AFPCs) on improvement and upgradation of the existing cow breeds of Manipur" .

Many progressive dairy farmers and representatives of Kaorel AFPC Limited, Mangjil AFPC Limited and Yumbi AFPC Limited attended the meeting.

At the meeting, KVK Imphal West Specialist Dr Th Motilal said the Embryo Transfer Technology (ETT) would improve the dairy farming in the State and enhance milk and dairy production.

"There is a need to produce improved milking cow breeds in Manipur and the Embryo Transfer Technology would provide them," he said.

Motilal informed that there are cow breeds in Haryana and Punjab which produce about 60 litres of milk per day.

Those breeds producing 30-40 litres a day are average cows.

Most of the cow breeds in Manipur give only about 10-15 litres of milk per day.

If the cow breeds, Holstein Friesian and Jersey, are given artificial insemination, it would take about 8 to 10 years to improve the breeds.

TAG Private Limited, Regional Sales manager, Sudama Singh said his is a leading firm in the field of Embryo Transfer Technology (ETT) in the country.

The firm would assist and provide improved and updated technology to dairy farmers in Manipur.

Meanwhile, Kaorel AFPC Limited has claimed that it has started producing calves that can produce 60 litres of milk in a day.

The calves are born of conventional breeding techniques using bull semen from Denmark and Germany, said officials.

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