May 29, 2024

India develops technology for sex-sorted semen straws

India's National Dairy Development Board's (NDDB) Semen Station at Alamadhi, near Red Hills on Chennai's outskirts, has successfully developed a technology to produce sex sorted semen straws, aims to enhance the probability of birthing female calves that can help increase milk production, The Times of India reported.

The semen straw, resembling a test tube, contains frozen semen used for artificial insemination. This method is preferred over natural mating as it prevents impure semen from entering the system, ensuring better quality offspring.

NDDB chairman Meenesh Shah announced that the indigenous sex sorting technology was developed with support from India's Union Ministry of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

Shah noted that the production and field trials of this technology are ongoing, with results expected by August. He said the started the trial run of the indigenous technology in March at Alamadhi, and to date, 5,000 doses of sex-sorted bovine semen have been produced.

The frozen semen of high genetic merit bulls produced at Alamadhi benefits dairy farmers in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Kerala, and Karnataka, among other states. Annually, the station produces and sells 10 million semen doses under the brand 'Superior Animal Genetics,' commanding a market share of nearly 40% across the country.

Operating since May 2015 and spread over 358 acres, the Alamadhi Semen Station is consistently rated in the "A" category by the Central Monitoring Unit of the Ministry. The station has a capacity to produce 10 million doses of frozen semen per annum and houses 300 bulls of 25 high genetic merit breeds in a hygienic, bio-secured environment to ensure disease-free semen production.

The station includes 14 indigenous cattle breeds, such as Kangeyam from Tamil Nadu, Punganur and Ongole from Andhra Pradesh, Vechur from Kerala, and Hallikar, Amritmahal, and Malnadu Gidda from Karnataka. Notably, Punganur and Vechur are among the smallest cattle breeds in the world. The high genetic merit semen enables the indigenous breeds to produce about 15 litres of milk per day, while exotic breeds produce between 25 to 50 litres per day.

Currently, imported semen straws are available in the market for INR 1,000 (US$12) each. The NDDB plans to sell their indigenously produced straws at a lower price to benefit farmers and cattle owners.

-      The Times of India