India has recently imported 40,000 doses of bull semen from Brazil for the first time. This move aims to enhance milk production through artificial insemination, as confirmed by a senior official from the Brazilian embassy.
The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), responsible for importing these doses, has a goal to augment the population of Indian native breeds such as Gir and Kankrej while simultaneously boosting their milk production. NDDB operates under government ownership and manages the well-known Mother Dairy brand.
“The first imports of 40,000 semen doses just took place this month by India’s NDDB. It’s been a project for a long time. For three to four years, they have been discussing it. Though it was a tough discussion, we managed to solve it and now import has taken place," said Angelo de Queiroz Mauricio, agricultural attaché at Brazil’s embassy in New Delhi.
This development coincides with the government's ambitious target of achieving an annual milk production of 330 million tonnes (mt) by FY34. In FY23, India generated 230.6 mt of milk, marking a 3.8% growth compared to the previous year and a substantial 22.8% increase since FY19, as stated in an official Indian government release. India stands as the world's leading milk producer, contributing 24% to the global total, with the US and China following closely. However, the country's current milk production matches its consumption, necessitating efforts to boost output, especially as demand is anticipated to keep rising.