Banaskantha/New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that a new bovine breeding and research centre in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district would help improve milk production, strengthen indigenous cattle breeds and increase farmers’ incomes ahead of its inauguration on Friday.
In a post on social media platform X, PM Modi said the 127-acre Bharat Bovine Breeding and Research Centre (BBBRC), being established at Bhildi, would showcase how science and innovation could improve animal husbandry and support dairy farmers.
“What does the next big leap in India’s animal husbandry and dairy sector look like? To know that, come to Banaskantha, Gujarat!” the Prime Minister noted, announcing the launch of the facility on October 30.
He said the centre would help farmers through “more milk per animal, better quality breeds and higher incomes”, while contributing to the conservation of indigenous cattle breeds such as Kankrej.
“The benefits would extend to dairy farmers across the country,” he added.
The centre is being established as an advanced Centre of Excellence focused on bovine breeding, genetic improvement and advanced reproductive technologies.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the facility is expected to increase breed improvement by 10-20 times and will be the country’s first facility-of-its-kind dedicated to the Kankrej cattle breed.
PM Modi is scheduled to visit the centre’s cattle farm and the Embryo Transfer Technology-In Vitro Fertilisation (ET-IVF) Laboratory in Banaskantha at around 9:30 a.m. on Friday.
He will subsequently dedicate the research centre to the nation as part of development projects worth more than Rs 14,000 crore.
The initiative comes against the backdrop of Gujarat’s established dairy cooperative network, with Banaskantha-based ‘Banas Dairy’ playing a significant role in the region’s milk economy.
Improving cattle genetics and access to advanced breeding techniques can help enhance productivity, although the gains for individual farmers will depend on the adoption of these technologies and their implementation.
During his visit, PM Modi will also lay the foundation stones for two Bio-CNG plants of Banas Dairy at Tharad and Radhanpur.
The plants will be designed to process 75 metric tonnes and 100 metric tonnes of cattle dung per day, respectively, linking dairy activity with the production of cleaner fuel.
Other projects scheduled for launch in Banaskantha include the expansion of Ahmedabad Metro towards the airport and GIFT City, the widening of Ahmedabad-Mehsana Road from four to eight lanes, and new child-friendly Anganwadi centres.
The Prime Minister will also dedicate 521 projects under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund and flag off two train services.
PM Modi’s two-day Gujarat visit on October 30 and 31 will also include the release of the 24th instalment of the PM-KISAN scheme, amounting to around Rs 19,000 crore, and participation in ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’ celebrations at Ekta Nagar to mark the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
(IANS)
