Tech that mimics pregnancy changes to trigger lactation
Pashudhan praharee network,
Here’s a breakthrough technology from an agricultural startup that can address the huge challenge of cows that stops giving milk.
Tropical Animal Genetics, a five-year-old livestock technology company, has come out with a technology that ensures lactation in cows without the need for pregnancy and birth.
“The Pregnancy Free Lactation (PFL), which is being tested in small cow populations, induces lactation by mimicking the conditions of pregnancy,” Aluri Srinivasa Rao, Co-Founder and Mentor of TAG, has said.
“This solution extends the productive life of a cow. This will address the stray cattle problem in the country and will convert dry cows into productive cattle. It will also help gaushalas become profitable,” he said.
“By giving certain medicines to a cow, we can mimic the pre-delivery conditions that generally trigger lactation. After 30 days, the cow will give milk for nine months,” Pravin Kini, Managing Director of TAG, said.
Embryo technology
He said the Tropical Bovine Genetics (TBG) platform offers assured genetics with embryo technology (ET) that can potentially double the income of dairy farmers.
“Poor genetics of the herd result in low milk productivity. TAG has industrialised sexed embryo technology allowing dairy farmers to access high productivity cows at affordable prices,” he said. Embryo-derived milch cows will help dairy farmers double their income. We have a facility at Anand (Gujarat) that can produce one lakh embryos a year. We are going to set up more such facilities in different parts of the country,” he said.
An embryo will cost about ₹25,000-30,000. The company is targeting dairy farms before reaching out to individual farmers.
“We are a technology company. We are not aiming at producing embryos to meet the entire demand. We are looking at transferring the technology,” Srinivasa Rao said.
The firm, which has raised about $10 million, will set up a facility in Hyderabad with 30 people.
