Punjab Government has reduced livestock semen rates by four times to promote dairy farming in the State. The State Government has taken this historic step to improve the breed of the cattle and increase milk production which would enhance the income of dairy farmers of the State, said the state Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, while adding that the notification in this regard has also been issued.
As per the new rates, the price for sexed semen, imported by the Animal Husbandry Department for better breeding of cows, has been reduced from Rs 1,000 to Rs 300.
Fee of imported Holstein Friesian (HF) or Jersey semen has been reduced from Rs 200 to Rs 50 and fee for semen of imported bulls and bulls born through embryo transfer technology (ETT) with imported embryos has been reduced from Rs 150 to Rs 35. The rates of conventional semen (non-ETT, non-imported or unsexed) have been reduced from Rs 75 to Rs 25.
“The dairy farmers should get benefit from this facility as on very nominal rates have been implemented across the State. This would also provide Rs 10 crore annual relief to the dairy farmers for improving the quality of livestock,” said the Minister.
Apart from this, the state’s Animal Husbandry Department, under the ‘National AI Programme’ of the Central Government has launched a campaign to provide free breeding to 20,000 livestock of 300 villages in every district.
