Brazil offers genomic chips for genomic selection indigenous breeds

Singh also met a 5-member delegation from Brazil led by Dr Jose Ribamar Felipe Marques, director, Buffalo Research and Development, Brazil, on Tuesday with the aim of promoting technical cooperation between India and Brazil. 

The minister said Brazil has expertise in embryo transfer technology (ETT), In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), sex-sorted semen production and has carried out extensive research on Indian indigenous breeds. Brazil will also offer training of professionals in the country so that the production and productivity of indigenous breeds can be increased rapidly, he said. 

By adopting modern breeding technologies and implementing scientific breeding programmes, Brazil has achieved an increase in the productivity of indigenous breeds of India, the minister said, adding that the genomic chips developed by Brazil can be very useful for implementing genomic selection for our indigenous breeds.

In order to promote the latest development in breeding techniques, Singh said, four animal breeding centers of excellence are being set up for ETT, IVF, sex-sorted semen, genomics and training of skilled manpower. These centers will not only serve as training centers but also work as centers of research and development. Germplasm produced at these centers will be made available to all the states. Two CoEs in Kalsi Uttarakhand and Central Agricultural University, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Motihari are being established with the help of Brazil.