PM Modi Inaugurates Rs 325-Crore Bovine Breeding Centre in Gujarat’s Banaskantha
The 127-acre facility will use advanced reproductive technologies to improve indigenous cattle breeds, produce 25,000 embryos annually and support dairy farmers.
PALANPUR, Oct 30: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the Bharat Bovine Breeding and Research Centre (BBBRC) at Bhildi in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district, marking a major step towards strengthening indigenous cattle breeds and improving dairy productivity.
The Prime Minister, who is on a two-day visit to Gujarat, toured the facility and interacted with officials to understand its operations and advanced breeding technologies.
Spread across 127 acres and constructed at a cost of Rs 325 crore, the centre has been established by Banas Dairy with technical assistance from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and support under the Centre’s Rashtriya Gokul Mission.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Banas Dairy chairman Shankar Chaudhary, who is also the Speaker of the state Assembly, accompanied Modi during the inauguration.
The facility will employ modern reproductive technologies, including in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) and embryo transfer, to improve the genetic quality of indigenous livestock and increase milk production.
According to an official statement, the centre has an annual target of producing 25,000 high-quality embryos to support scientific breeding programmes and improve the productivity of dairy animals.
Its operations will focus on prominent indigenous cattle breeds, including Kankrej, Gir, Sahiwal and Tharparkar, along with buffalo varieties such as Mehsani, Banni, Jaffrabadi and Murrah.
The initiative is expected to benefit dairy farmers by enabling them to obtain higher milk yields from fewer animals, particularly as rising cattle maintenance expenses and declining fodder availability continue to affect livestock management.
The centre will also supply quality semen, embryos and breeding-related services to livestock owners at affordable prices, helping farmers gain access to improved breeding facilities and better-performing animals.
The project is expected to strengthen the dairy sector by promoting scientific livestock management, preserving indigenous genetic resources and improving the economic prospects of dairy farmers.
During his Gujarat visit, Modi is also scheduled to inaugurate and lay foundation stones for five major development projects undertaken by Banas Dairy at Bhildi, according to the official statement.
