NDDB's ties with China suffer after Kurien's exit

The exit of Verghese Kurien may not have affected Amul or the lakhs of milk producers of the state but it has certainly affected the Chinese.

The relations between the department of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has suffered a setback in the wake of Kurien's sudden exit.

The Chinese university had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with NDDB in 1994 for exchange of scientists, industry experts as well for the exchange of bio-technologies.

NDDB may or may not have gained anything from this MoU but the Chinese are certainly happy with it as they have now got 1,000 buffaloes of India's famous Murrah breed, thanks to the board's donation of 1,000 strands of semen in 1997.

The Chinese also benefited from many of the NDDB's experts who visited China and delivered lectures on dairy development and on livestock.

However, with Kurien parting his ways with NDDB and Amul this year, the decade-long Chinese relations also came to an end.

"The relations of our department with NDDB stopped with Kurien's retirement recently," said He Sheng Jiang, deputy director general of Guangxi Animal Science and Technology department, who is also a faculty of Animal Science University of Guangxi. Jiang and his delegation are in Gujarat to participate in the ongoing AgriFare-2006.

Jiang said the relations with NDDB had to be revived from the scratch again and for that they had met Amrita Patel, NDDB chairperson, during their recent visit to Vadodara.

"We have got a very positive response from her. We are sure that the relations will be built up again in no time," he added.

Jiang added that during Kurien's regime, the Chinese benefited a lot as they now have 1,000 buffaloes of India's famous Murrah breed which is known as "Asian tractor" because of its tremendous capacity to produce milk and meat. The Murrah breed found mainly in Haryana gives 35 litres of milk a day.

Jiang also signed an MoU with Anand Agricultural University in Ahmedabad under which both the universities will exchange six students every year.

"We will exchange six students of bachelor's degree to Phd level every year. This way we will be able to share the knowledge."

He also said that they were trying to replicate the Amul model in his country.