GUWAHATI, March 19 - A long-cherished milestone was achieved by the ICAR-National Research Centre on Pig at Rani here after successful delivery of 11 and 10 number of Large White Yorkshire piglets from two sows belonging to Rani variety on March 9 and 11 after insemination with frozen thawed semen for the first time in Assam, a press release stated.
The effective protocol was developed by Dr Madan Kumar Tamuli, Principal Scientist (retired) with technical assistance from Dr Gagan Bhuyan by using Indianised semen extender called either as GEPS or GPSE-I, which was earlier developed and popularised by Dr Tamuli in 1982.
He eliminated antibiotics in the semen extender and instead incorporated a herbal compound for which the breakthrough was possible, he claims. Commenting on the success, the acting Director of the institute, Dr Swaraj Rajkhowa said that the frozen semen technology in pig is a worldwide burning topic of research due to its poor success rate. The indigenous success may open up avenue for future conservation of male germplasm from top ranking boars for inter-State and international transfer and exchange.
Liquid boar semen technology for artificial insemination within Assam and at inter-State places by using water jacket for transport at 15�C has already been standardized and more than 2,000 farmers have availed benefits. More than 40,000 crossbred piglets have so far been born across the State since 2010. The demand of AI in pigs has been increased and over 50 trained farmers have started doing AI after a brief training.
It is believed that artificial insemination technology in pigs, if strategically propagated in all the North-Eastern and other States within the country, will fulfil the �Make in India� dream of the Prime Minister and contribute to doubling farmers� income by 2022.
