Holy cow! Gir gai goes global via Brazil
Vijaysinh Parmar, TNN Sep 27, 2010, 02.19am IST
JASDAN (RAJKOT): Given that the Gir cow is indigenous to Gujarat, local business should have been milking it to earn foreign exchange. But it seems far away Brazil is doing a better of this.
The South American country today has around 50 lakh heads of this unique breed known for high milk production. Gujarat is estimated to have only around 3,000 pure breed Gir cows left, according to Satyajit Khachar, scion of the erstwhile princely state of Jasdan and a known breeder of the cow.
And now, the Gir breed is set to go global. As Khachar puts it, “Brazil has emerged as the world’s biggest supplier of improved cattle embryos and semen of Indian origin, now rated among the best dairy breeds in the world. The demand is particularly high from African and Southeast Asian countries. The Indian ‘holy cow’ has turned out to be a great money-spinner for Brazil.”
According to Khachar, the focus of the dairy industry in Gujarat was on buffalo milk because of its fat content. So the Gir breed was neglected, resulting in the dwindling of both its numbers and pedigree.
Only recently, two containers with embryos of the breed were flown to Brazil to improve the stock of cows there. The embryos were developed in a laboratory in Bhavnagar which has been funded at a cost of Rs 2 crore by cattle breeders of Brazil.
“The last major export of the breed to Brazil took place in 1960, after which laws made import and export of animals difficult. The South American country has taken very good care of the breed, but they need fresh blood every three to four generations because of which the embryos were flown there,” says Khachar.
The Bhavnagar laboratory was set up in 2001. Khachar is exporting the embryos in partnership with a Brazilian firm. In Brazil, the Indian cows are known as the Zebu breed. Brazilian farmers first shipped three cattle breeds from India - Gir and Kankrej from Gujarat and Ongole from Andhra Pradesh, in 1850. These breeds were essentially for use in agriculture and for beef. But they soon found out that Gir cow gave large quantities of milk. Interestingly, pedigreed Gir cows in Brazil get the Pure Origin India (POI) tag. Each animal’s pedigree and DNA is registered with Association of Brazilin Zebu Breeders, an apex body.
The interested friends may have read the article published in The Times of India. Artificial Insemination (AI) is against the law of nature. This may be only one disadvantage of AI. …if we have to get maximum benefit from the hi pedigree bulls like Gopal, then the AI (and one step ahead embryo transfer) by the semen collected from this bull would get us maximum nos of the better high yielding Gir cows… otherwise we are exploiting the bull Gopal…as well as controlling the motion of the Gir Cow Improvement Movement… it should be mind well…Now we should motivate the owner of the Bull and to inform/ask organisation like BAIF, Sabarmati Ashram Gaushala, Amul Dairy, Dudhsagar Dairy, Sabar Dairy, Banas Dairy, Rajkot Dairy, Mother Dairy, Agricultural Universities, Animal Husbandry Department etc to take some encouraging positive actions regarding the matter.
Sir,
Kindly visit personally Saurashtra Region of Gujarat State for Gir Cows. You may contact , get detail and confirm with the following persons/organisations regarding your objectives and visit.
I personally recommend avoiding any brokers in this matter. The persons who have initiated Gir cows rearing throughout India may not be reliable in purchase dealing. Your personally contact and visit would be highly fruitful in your proposed project and programme.
The Districts having Gir Cows: Bhavnagar, Surendranagar, Amreli, Junagadh, Rajkot
You may contact the following persons/organisations in Saurashtra Region
You may enquire at the
- Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, www.jau.in
- RAJKOT DAIRY, RAJKOT, www.rajkotunion.coop
- GRISERV, BAIF, Vadodara, Gujaratwww.griserv.com
- SABARMATI ASHRAM GAUSHALA (BIDAJ),
BIDAJ FARM, PO: LALI 387 120
DISTRICT: KHEDA, GUJARAT, INDIA
TEL: +91 2694 288580, 288584
FAX: +91 2694 288562
EMAIL: SAGHO@SAGBIDAJ.ORG
www.sagbidaj.org - LOKBHARTI Gramvidyapith, Sanosra, Dist. Bhavnagar. www.lokbharti.org
- DAXINAMURTI Lokshala, Ambla, Tehsil : Sihor, Dist. Bhavnagar.
- Swaminarayan Temple Gaushala, Gadhda(Swaminarayan), Dist : Bhavnagar
- Shri Anandbhai Maldhari, Rajpara, Rajkot, Cell Phone; 094277 23994
- Shri Lakhdhirsinh Jadav, Majadar, Chuda, Surendranagar. 09924537245
- Many Village Level Community Gaushala, Mahajan Gaushala/Panjrapol, in Junagadh and other districts of Saurashtra.
You may get the best trained Managers for your Gir Cows Farms(Gaushala) from GRISERV, BAIF, Vadodara, Gujarat and LOKBHARTI Gramvidyapith, Sanosra, Dist. Bhavnagar.
Wish you all the best wishes for your proposed project.Thanks and Regards,
Ratilal Sudani, Director, Bhoojalshree, Anand, Gujarat
Cell Phone: 9427382368
EMail: groundwater.sudani@gmail.com
Note: My profession is the consultancy services for groundwater investigation scietifically in the agricultural farms. I have many progressive farmers’ contact rearing Gir Cows in Saurashtra. I am mostly engaged for this work mostly. I have some free time in monsoon. So I am unable to support you personally most probably.