NDDB implements scheme on buffaloes in Guntur, Krishna

The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has successfully implemented its 'ovulation synchronisation' programme in Guntur and Krishna districts and is preparing to take up the scheme in Visakhapatnam and Nalgonda districts soon.

The programme, formulated to solve the problem of huge time gap in buffalo breeding, was implemented in the two districts for the first time in the country. Andhra Pradesh was specially selected for the project.

Impressed by the scheme results, a large number of farmers have rushed to the NDDB office here with request to implement the same in their villages at their cost. Buffaloes have a predominant place in the state's dairy industry.

Speaking to Business Standard here, NDDB state director S Srinivas said the 'ovulation synchronisation' programme was first implemented in Guntur Milk Union, covering 88 buffaloes of four model dairy co-operatives.

These buffaloes had a record of long post-partem anoestrum, which meant that they took a long time for the ovulation cycle to kick in.

Seventy-eight per cent of the buffaloes became pregnant in three cycles. Later, at the request of the milk union, the NDDB experts covered 79 more buffaloes in six villages in April this year.

Subsequently, he said, the scheme was implemented in the Krishna Milk Union, covering 183 buffaloes in 11 villages and achieved the same success. The board of Krishna Milk Union decided to immediately adopt the NDDB programme in 50 more villages and cover 1,000 buffaloes under it.

The NDDB took the cooperation of the officials of the milk unions and the State Animal Husbandry Department (AHD) in executing the scheme. It conducted training programmes also for milk producers and officials. The AHD officials requested the NDDB to provide them training assistance in future also, he added.

The NDDB director said a number of villages resolved to benefit out of the scheme. Their leaders approached the milk unions in the two districts and proposed a cost-sharing formula among the union, dairy cooperatives, and milk producers.

Likewise, he said, the NDDB had been implementing many schemes for improving the efficiency and performance, yield, quality and income wise, of milk cooperatives in the state. While 'ovulation synchronisation' was an instant success, the other schemes are at various stages of implementation.

"The board provided technical and financial support to about 250 milk co-operatives in the state. Every society released Rs 30,000 each and in all the board disbursed Rs 75 lakh to these societies. The board is also promoting model dairy co-operatives exclusively for women. One such cooperative is effectively working in Karimnagar district. NDDB has also provided infrastructure, plant and processing facilities, education, training and awareness programmes to farmers from village to district level, thus adding to the value chain in the dairy co-operatives," he said.