Artificial insemination boosts livestock output

Livestock sector has an immense role in ensuring food security, nutrition and overall socio-economic development. Its contribution to the GDP is 2.51% and the growth is 3.39%. Even after facing many difficult barriers, livestock sector is moving ahead.

As per the government accounts, in almost 50% areas of the country, artificial insemination (AI) has reached quite successfully.

The AI Research Centre of Savar is moving onward with specific plans and objectives. Good news is we now have the proper AI system, semen testing, packaging and preservation capacity.

The state-of-the art system also includes strict bio-safety measures. Alongside the facilities, the centre also has the technologies for checking the quality and health of the semen, its growth percentage and many more.

"The centre is equipped with modern technologies and the results we get are wonderful," says Shan-E-Khoda, scientific officer of AI Research Centre.

"There was a time when all these were just impossible, but with the effective application of technologies now we can ensure the best for livestock," says MA Awal, assistant director of the research centre.

Semen packaging is a fine art and it needs a high concentration. With perfect cooling system, semen is preserved and kept for delivery.

"It's a world class preservation facility, I ensure you," added MA Awal.

The scientists working at the research centre gave me the most astonishing information that they can preserve the semen in the centre for 100 to 200 years.

In the gene banks there are many storage tanks filled with liquid nitrogen where the different varieties of semen are being preserved.

Scientists said they have preserved semen of different varieties of bull, including Friesian, Shahial, local and Friesian cross of four varieties, local and Brahman cross, and Red Chittagong Cattle. 

"In the research centre we have in total 258 bulls, among them 170 are fit to give more production of calves," says Abdul Awal.

It surely indicates that AI will go far in the coming 15 years and we would be able to produce even more developed cattle.

Dear readers, for many reasons, our livestock sector couldn't achieve the success the way it should by this time. It could have been a huge success, if only our plans were visionary and complete. For the very first time, we are now also working on beef cattle breeds. The project for beef cattle is working pretty well. And farmers are becoming hopeful to make more profits.

I hope the Savar AI research centre will implement its plans and initiatives with success. I also hope the authorities concerned should rightly address the problems in the sector and act accordingly with the help of government and international expertise.

If the research and extension goes on with a reasonable pace, in a short time, Bangladesh will be self sufficient in meeting the demand of meat and gain success in milk production.