A dairy farmer and his family in Ahmednagar District, Maharashtra, added to their milking potential through this heifer calf, which was conceived using sex-sorted semen from U.S. based Sexing Technologies®. Photo Courtesy BAIF
Global livestock reproduction and semen sex sorting technology innovator Sexing Technologies® (ST) is partnering with prominent Indian NGO, BAIF Development Research Foundation to produce and provide sex sorted semen from indigenous breeds of cattle and buffaloes to India’s rural dairy farmers as a means of improving their productivity.
Representatives from Sexing Technologies®(ST) and BAIF observed India’s 70th anniversary of its independence on August 15 by announcing that they will collaborate to introduce sex sorting technology to India. The partnership between ST and BAIF seeks to greatly increase farmers’ chances of producing heifer calves by artificially inseminating their cows with sex-sorted semen.
“It is an important milestone for ST to enter this new market. India is the world’s largest milk producing country, with a fast-growing demand for milk and milk products, and where ST’s technology can have significant impact on improving genetics and enhancing milk production” said ST CEO Juan Moreno “We believe our partnership with BAIF will help transform the livelihood of many dairy farmers in India and make this a very gratifying venture for us.”
BAIF was established in 1967 by Dr. Manibhai Desai, a disciple of Mahatma Gandhi, to promote sustainable livelihoods in rural India through improved agriculture practices, livestock development and other related activities. BAIF is already producing more than 10 million doses of conventional semen from superior indigenous breeds and cross-bred cattle and buffaloes. The organization is also providing more than 4 million artificial inseminations (AI) to farmers annually and is expanding its semen production capacity.
“We are so pleased and proud about the initiative to introduce sexed semen, which is precious and fundamental for improving the milk production especially in the rural villages” said Girish Sohani, President and Managing Trustee of BAIF. “It is even more Historic because the collaboration started on India’s Independence Day and during the Golden Jubilee Year of BAIF”.
ST and BAIF, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, have been working together for the past three years to introduce sex-sorted semen from the U.S. to India’s rural dairy farmers. More than 7,500 farmers in different States of India have used sex-sorted semen, achieving an average conception rate of more than 44 percent, and with 21 females out of 22 calves born so far.
“The latest semen sorting technology SexedULTRATM’, invented and improved by ST, is already proven all over the world with consistent results in providing greater than 90 percent female calves with an average conception rate more than 90 percent of that of conventional semen under similar conditions. The technology is also proven for sex sorting semen from Indigenous breeds of cattle (in Brazil) and buffaloes (in Italy) with results similar to that of exotic breeds of cattle, which has immense value in India”, said Dr. Prakash Kalarickal, ST’s Vice President of Business Development for Asia, Oceania, the Middle East and Africa. “Apart from producing greater than 90 percent female calves, use of sexed semen will also help accelerate genetic progress and reduce wastage of animals and genetics through male calves. Sorted semen has the added benefits of improving cow comfort and animal welfare. Cows suffer fewer birthing and post calving complications when delivering heifer calves, which reduces a farmer’s potential for economic losses.
ST began sorting semen commercially in 2004 at its headquarters facility in Navasota, Texas. The company now has nine sorting labs across the U.S. and 11 sorting facilities in 10 different countries such as Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, France (2 labs), Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Switzerland and The Netherlands. Over the past 13 years ST has produced more than 50 million straws of sexed semen from dairy breeds including Holstein, Jersey and Brown Swiss, and more than 1 million straws of sex semen from India’s indigenous (Bos Indicus) breeds like Gir, Sahiwal, Guzera (Kankrej), Red Sindhi, Nelore, and Brahman, and from Buffaloes.
ST has dedicated significant financial and manpower resources to research and development that led to its technology, SexedULTRA™, and its flagship product, SexedULTRA 4M™ , with conception rates comparable to conventional semen.
