Frozen
Semen Management
The
State has evolved a three-tier Artificial Insemination (A.I.) management
system to provide the inputs for cattle breeding namely:
Bull
Stations
Regional Semen Banks (RSB)
Artificial Insemination Centres
Bull
Stations
A sperm
station was set up in the mid 1960s at Mattupatti to supply for the
A.I. programme to the Project area in high ranges. With the extension
of A.I. programmes to the southern districts, the demand for frozen
semen grew steadily and thus a second station was established at Kulathupuzha
(Kollam district). The Dhoni bull station was started by the Dairy
Development Department in 1972 to keep pure Jersey bulls for the production
of Coconut Milk Extended semen (CME), a new technology developed to
overcome the constraint of maintaining a cold chain in tropical environment.
Regional
Semen Banks (RSB)
The frozen
semen doses produced at the bull stations of Mattupatti, Kulathupuzha
and Dhoni are used at the AI centres scattered throughout the State.
The Board is the sole agency responsible for the distribution of frozen
semen and Liquid Nitrogen to all the AI centres of the state, thereby,
acting as an agency regulating the breeding policy of the State. The
Board has established 7 RSBs in different parts of the State for this
purpose.
| RSB |
Year
of Establishment |
Districts
covered |
No
of AI centres |
| Mavelikara |
1970 |
Alappuzha,
Pathanamthitta
and parts of Kollam |
426 |
| Kulathupuzha |
1974 |
Thiruvananthapuram
and parts of Kollam |
441 |
| Muvattupuzha |
1981 |
Parts
of Kottayam, Ernakulam and Idukki |
492 |
| Kannur |
1983 |
Kannur
and Kasargode |
368 |
| Chalakudy |
1985 |
Parts
of Thrissur, Ernakulam, Idukki and Kottayam |
421 |
| Puthupady |
1985 |
Kozhikode,
Wayanad and parts of Malappuram |
412 |
| Dhoni |
1992 |
Palakkad,
parts of Thrissur and Malappuram |
411 |
Major
functions of RSB
| a) |
Distribution
of AI consumables like frozen semen, LN & AI Sheath to the
AI Centres at regular intervals. |
| b) |
Production/
Purchase of liquid nitrogen |
| c) |
Implementation
of the breeding programme in accordance with the breeding policy
of the state |
| d) |
Implementation
of bull rotation programme to ensure uniform distribution of genetic
material across the various regions of the state and to minimise
inbreeding |
| e) |
Feed
back of information related to the AI services (performance of
bulls & AI consumables) |
| f) |
Sale
of frozen semen to non-governmental and private agencies |
| g) |
Testing
of cryogenic equipments |
| h) |
Customer
relations etc. |
AI
Centres
Artificial
Insemination (AI) is being carried out in the State mainly by the
Animal Husbandry Department and the Milk Unions. Dairy Development
Department and private agencies are also involved, though to a lesser
extent. On an average, an AI centre covers the recommended number
of 750 breedable females (report of the breeding committee). The number
of AI centres in the state has been steadily increasing through the
years resulting in an efficient coverage of the breedable population.
However, the increase in the overall consumption has been marginal.
Growth
of AI centres over the years
| Year |
AHD |
DDD |
APCOS |
OTHERS |
TOTAL |
| 1994-95 |
1769 |
82 |
173 |
98 |
2122 |
| 1995-96 |
1859 |
81 |
183 |
124 |
2247 |
| 1997-98 |
1978 |
12 |
194 |
130 |
2314 |
| 1998-99 |
2287 |
12 |
180 |
153 |
2632 |
| 1999-00 |
2336 |
12 |
192 |
146 |
2686 |
| 2000-01 |
2441 |
12 |
185 |
150 |
2788 |
| 2001-02 |
2489 |
14 |
184 |
148 |
2835 |
| 2002-03 |
2492 |
12 |
185 |
167 |
2856 |
| 2003-04 |
2496 |
12 |
223 |
240 |
2971 |
Semen storage at AI Centre / Semen Bank
Ten litre
capacity LN refrigerators were initially being used for storing frozen
semen at the AI centres. (LR-10 of Union Carbide) Later, the Board
realised that depending on imported containers alone would not be
advisable. Among the few companies who came forward with indigenous
containers, the IBP Co. was the most promising. The earliest introduction
was the BA-11 (11 lit. container) which had a longer refilling interval,
i.e., 21 days under field conditions. The next generation container,
BA-7 (7 lit. container) when introduced, had several problems like
higher evaporation, higher damage rate etc. However, over the years,
it has been refined. At present, almost all the field refrigerators
are of BA - 7 type. BA-7 is the preferred one because of its compactness,
thermodynamic efficiency and a comparatively lesser weight. More important
is the fact that the refilling interval is 21 days (similar to that
of the BA-11) with a lesser LN requirement for refilling (an average
of 5 lit/container). Recently M/s.Inox India Ltd. has also come forward
with IR7 container which equates with the BA-7 in every respect.
In order to increase the coverage of AI and to improve the reproductive
efficiency a mobile AI programme is being promoted so as to provide
breeding services at the abode of the cows. As a first step, the programme
was started in selected centres in each district. A twin container
system using BA-35/IX-35 and BA-7/IR-7 is being followed for the programme.
A total of 36 centres in the State are provided with the mobile AI
cryocans. Efforts are also being made at the conversion of stationery
AI centres into mobile centre by providing transport crates suitable
to hold BA-7 refrigerators and to be fitted to motorbikes. This programme
is being supported under the NPCBB. 107 centres were operational by
the end of 2003-04.
Liquid Nitrogen Management
LN Production
The introduction
of frozen semen (FS) for AI has made the dissemination of genetic
material faster, easier and efficient. Timely availability of LN is
one of the pre-requisites for the success of an AI programme and its
availability at a reasonable price must be ensured. Almost all the
AI programmes in India started with their own LN plants to meet the
demand. An alternative would be to depend on industrial sources like
fertilizer and gas manufacturing companies. Both the systems have
their own merits and demerits. Considering the periodic hike in electricity
charges and the cost of spares/services, the Board has fixed up annual
contracts with industrial sources in the neigbouring adjoining states
for the supply of the material. Only the PCI90 plant at Muvattupuzha
and PLN430 at RSB Pudupady are retained by the Board. As on 31.03.2004
only the LN plant at Pudupady was under routine operation.
LN Storage and Transport
The Board
started off with small LN storage transport containers - LD 25 from
M/s Union Carbide. Later, the TA 26 series containers from IBP Co.
were used for LN transport. The major problems with these containers
are that they are very heavy when filled with LN and cannot be handled
by a person on his own. Their failure and evaporation rates are also
high and space occupied is more when compared with that of horizontal
tankers. These containers are also not suited for multi-day supply
schedules wherein more than 500 lts. of LN have to be carried at a
time. Upon switching over from the single day schedule, to the 3 day
circular supply schedule, it was noted that the horizontal tankers
with a capacity of 500 lt. were very useful. Although several makes
and models were tried, initially the HL series of MVE (HL 100G) gave
the best results. Later HLP series tankers were introduced and were
being used continuously ever since, with satisfactory results. The
damages sustained by tankers to HLP500 on transit being very high
and considering the cost of replacement involved, the Board introduced
TA55 container with automatic LN dispensers for transport of LN to
field units as a trial to study the economics and operational convenience
in comparison with the distribution system using tankers. This system
has now proved to be more efficient and with lesser damages. The refilling
of LN in all the AI centres run by the Department of Animal Husbandry,
Dairy Development, Milk Co-operative etc. is being carried out by
the Board. LN is supplied at the door step of the AI centres using
mini trucks, hired through an annual contract. The supply schedule
for each calendar year is prepared well in advance and communicated
to each AI centres so that the transactions could be smooth.
Semen sale
The RSBs
collect the semen doses from the bull stations as per requirements
from time to time. The bulls used for the AI programme in the state
are grouped into 3 families. Related bulls are kept under the same
group and when new bulls are added, they are enrolled under the concerned
bull families. (predetermined by their parentage) The state is divided
into 3 breeding zones for the purpose of bull rotation and one group
of bulls is employed under a zone for a period of 3 years and then
allotted to next.It could be seen that the procedure helps in the
distribution of the genetic materials more or less in an uniform pattern
throughout the state, thereby minimising the chances of inbreeding.
The semen
doses are utilized mainly by the Department of Animal Husbandry. The
Department of Animal Husbandry, which was receiving about 84% of the
total doses consumed in the state during 1992-93, still continues
to be the major consumer with an equal percentage of intake. Meanwhile,
there has been considerable reduction in the number of doses utilized
by the Dairy Development Department and a two fold increase in the
number of doses consumed by the Co-operatives and private agencies.
The Board
regularly maintains a buffer stock of frozen semen to meet the requirements
for a period of six months so that any emerging exigency could be
met with. Apart from the sale of frozen semen within the state, the
Board has also been selling frozen semen to agencies outside the state.
Frozen
semen sale outside state
| Year |
Cattle |
Buffalo |
Total |
| 1993-94 |
845189 |
153395 |
998584 |
| 1994-95 |
951713 |
145590 |
1097303 |
| 1995-96 |
686825 |
760 |
687585 |
| 1996-97 |
754770 |
28475 |
783245 |
| 1997-98 |
726735 |
67800 |
794535 |
| 1998-99 |
701075 |
68985 |
770060 |
| 1999-00 |
650395 |
29415 |
679810 |
| 2000-01 |
731236 |
30940 |
762176 |
| 2001-02 |
547192 |
2000 |
549192 |
| 2002-03 |
592920 |
52995 |
645915 |
| 2003-04 |
142387 |
7054 |
149441 |