The move to develop the Onattukara region as an indigenous cow hub by increasing the number of native breeds is making progress.
Under the cow hub project, a joint initiative of the Kerala Livestock Development Board (KLDB) and Onattukara Development Agency, 54 indigenous calves have been distributed to students in the region in less than three years.
The project, which was launched in 2019, entered the second phase on Friday. It was inaugurated by Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development J. Chinchurani at Kayamkulam. Ms. Rani said the Onattukara indigenous cow hub project was a model to the entire State. She called for collective efforts to protect the native cattle breeds.
"The cow hub project is aimed at ensuring the comprehensive agriculture development of the Onattukara region. We started the project by distributing 24 Kasaragod Dwarf calves in 2019. The COVID-19 outbreak had hindered the progress of the project. But things are moving again. On Friday, we distributed 30 Kasaragod Dwarf calves. We have handed over pure indigenous calves to students to conserve and popularise the native breeds," said an official of the KLDB, adding that free fodder and financial assistance for renovating cattle sheds were being given to the beneficiaries of the project.
Besides providing calves, the KLDB distributed 45,298 doses of frozen semen of Vechur and Kasaragod Dwarf bulls to artificial insemination centres in the region in the last five years.
Officials said a large number of Vechur calves were produced in Alappuzha, Kollam and Pathanamthitta districts since 2017. The KLDB had been buying the calves from dairy farmers by paying a good amount.
A Union government-aided project to increase the number of Vechur, Sahiwal and other native breeds through embryo transfer technology was also making good progress. As many as 28 calves were born under the programme since 2018 at a cattle farm at Mattupetty near Munnar.
Kayamkulam municipal chairperson P. Sasikala presided. Onattukara Development Agency vice chairman N. Sukumara Pillai, KLDB managing director R. Rajiv, and others were present at the function.
