BHU records 6th successful Sahiwal calf birth on NY’s Day under RKVY project

Varanasi: Under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), the Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (FVAS), BHU, Rajiv Gandhi South Campus (RGSC), Barkachha, Mirzapur, is implementing a focused project for the conservation and genetic improvement of indigenous Gangatiri and Sahiwal cattle.Marking a significant beginning to the New Year, an indigenous surrogate cow at the FVAS dairy farm delivered a healthy female Sahiwal calf weighing 26.4 kg on Jan 1 through embryo transfer using sex-sorted semen. This achievement marks the sixth successful Sahiwal calf birth under the project and highlights steady progress in advanced cattle reproductive technologies at BHU.The newborn calf was visited by Dean, Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Prof Amit Raj Gupta, and Professor In-Charge, RGSC, Prof B M N Kumar, who reviewed farm management practices and encouraged the team associated with the programme. Prof U P Singh, Director of the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, also lauded the faculty's consistent efforts and achievements in conserving indigenous cattle breeds.The project is being led by Manish Kumar, Principal Investigator, with Kaustubh Kishor Saraf and Dr Ajeet Singh as Co-Principal Investigators. The faculty is gradually moving towards the adoption of next-generation reproductive technologies such as ovum pick-up (OPU) and in vitro embryo production (IVEP) to further accelerate genetic improvement and conservation efforts.The extension of these advanced technologies to dairy farmers in the Vindhyan region is expected to significantly strengthen sustainable dairy farming, enhance rural livelihoods, and contribute to national goals of food and nutritional security in line with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.