The dairy industry in India is on the brink of a transformation with the emergence of indigenous sex sorting technology for bovines. This state-of-the-art technology is currently undergoing field trials, and the results are eagerly anticipated to be unveiled by August.
In the midst of the dominance of two US-based technologies in sex semen sorting, which are priced at around ₹1,000 per sample, the indigenous technology promises to significantly reduce costs to nearly one-third. Meenesh Shah, Chairman of the National Dairy Development Board & NDDB Dairy Services, highlighted the potential of this technology to increase milk production due to a higher number of female calves.
The current market is dominated by US companies such as ST and ABS, which supply sex semen sorting machines. However, the usage of sex sorted semen in total artificial insemination remains less than 1 percent. The indigenous technology offers the prospect of producing more female calves, thus driving up milk production. The ongoing trial run of the technology at Alamadhi has already yielded a supply of 5,000 doses of sex sorted bovine semen. Shah mentioned that the technology may soon be ready for national deployment pending the review of its trial results.
Preliminary findings have indicated promising results in terms of conception rate and purity, rivalling or even surpassing the existing technologies. If all goes according to plan, the technology will be poised for widespread adoption within two months. Shah emphasized the significance of making the technology accessible to farmers, expressing the intention to offer it at a reduced cost ranging from ₹300 to ₹500, which is only a fraction of the current market price.
There are currently 67 semen stations across the country, all of which are slated to receive the technology from a supplier. Shah stressed the importance of not monopolizing the technology as the existing companies do, affirming the commitment to fair commercial terms.
Anticipating the impact of such technological advancements, Shah projected a significant surge in milk production in the coming years. With the introduction of sex semen sorting technology and other innovations, India’s current milk production of 231 million tonnes, which constitutes a quarter of the global production, is expected to increase to 300 million tonnes by 2030 or 2032. This would represent a 33 percent share of global production.
The evolution of sex sorting technology for bovines in the dairy industry stands as a testament to India’s Aatmanirbhar vision and its potential to bring about unprecedented growth and sustainability.