Agartala: The Animal Resources Development Department of Tripura has been honoured with the prestigious ‘Centre for Innovation in Public Service’ Award, recognising its groundbreaking efforts to boost milk production through the introduction of Artificial Insemination (AI) using Sexed Semen Technology.
The award was presented to Neeraj Kumar Chanchal, the department’s Director, by Manoj Sinha, the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir.
Tripura has long faced a challenge with low milk yields, largely due to a cattle population dominated by local breeds. The 2019 Livestock Census revealed that out of 6.16 lakh female cattle in the state, a mere 1.18 lakh were crossbred or exotic. While previous cattle breed upgradation programmes had a modest impact on milk production, the state’s per capita milk availability remained below the national average.
To address this, the department took a pioneering step in October 2020 by launching AI with Sex Sorted Semen, making Tripura the first state in the North East to adopt this innovative technology. This method selectively increases the birth rate of female calves, which are essential for milk production. The strategic implementation of this technology in various parts of the state was aimed at producing more high-quality female cattle, thereby boosting milk production and ensuring sustainable socio-economic growth in the dairy sector.
The initiative has proven to be a resounding success. Over the past four years, Tripura has recorded the highest number of improved female calves born through sexed semen AI in India. By December 2024, an impressive 46,746 female calves had been born from 2,58,000 AI procedures conducted with sexed semen. What began as a pilot project in four districts has now expanded statewide, with AI services now delivered right to the doorsteps of farmers.
With the widespread acceptance and implementation of this technology, the department projects a significant increase in milk production. In the next two to three years, milk output is expected to rise by approximately 49,000 tonnes, increasing the total from 2.47 lakh tonnes in 2023–24 to around 2.96 lakh tonnes by 2026–27. This will also improve the Per Capita Availability of milk from 163.38 gm/head/day to about 199.70 gm/head/day in the same period, bringing a much-needed boost to the state’s dairy sector and its economy.
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