Banaskantha’s Bovine Breeding Centre to Develop 25,000 Embryos Annually Using Advanced Breeding Technology

Banaskantha: The Bharat Bovine Breeding and Research Centre (BBBRC) at Bhildi in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district aims to produce 25,000 high-quality embryos annually using advanced reproductive technologies to improve milk productivity and reduce dairy farming costs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the centre on October 30.

Spread across 127 acres, the centre has received ₹38.83 crore in funding under the Centre’s Rashtriya Gokul Mission, with technical support from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).

Using technologies such as in-vitro embryo production and embryo transfer, the centre aims to enable a single elite cow to produce 10–20 calves annually, compared with one calf a year through conventional breeding. The technology allows superior genetic traits to be multiplied more rapidly across cattle populations.

The centre will develop embryos from indigenous breeds such as Kankrej and Gir, buffalo breeds including Mehsani, Banni and Murrah, and high-yielding crossbred cattle. Farmers will initially pay ₹1,000 per embryo, with the remaining cost to be covered through subsidies jointly provided by the Gujarat government, GCMMF and Banas Dairy after pregnancy is confirmed.

The initiative aims to improve the productivity of Banaskantha’s 28 lakh livestock population. The centre is also promoting a Bovine Breedpreneur Club, which currently has 316 dairy farmers associated with BBBRC. The initiative encourages farmers to breed superior livestock and maintain detailed records of their animals’ lineage, milk yield, growth and health.

The centre is envisioned as a model for modernising livestock breeding across India by combining advanced biotechnology, farmer participation and cooperative support. DeshGujarat