Gujarat records first Gyr calf born through IVF in Amreli
Amreli: A Gyr calf has been born through In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) at the Gujarat Livestock Development Board’s (GLDB) Embryo Transfer Laboratory in Gujarat’s Amreli, marking a first for the state.
The achievement demonstrates the potential of advanced reproductive technology to improve cattle breeding and milk production.
The laboratory, located in Varudi in Amreli district, is equipped with modern facilities to support livestock development in the Gyr cow breeding tract.
The initiative aims to provide farmers with access to high-quality reproductive technology and enhance the genetic traits of the state’s cattle.
Jitu Vaghani, Gujarat’s Animal Husbandry Minister, said the IVF programme began last year with technical support from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).
“During the initial phase, embryo transfer operations were carried out on 13 recipient animals. The latest success involved a recipient cow carrying a Kankrej lineage, which has now given birth to a pure Gyr calf. The embryo used came from a Gyr cow with superior genetic traits, ensuring the calf inherits the same high-quality characteristics as the donor,” he added.
Officials said the programme will expand in the coming months, with more than 30 recipient animals at the Amreli laboratory scheduled for embryo transfer.
They added that these efforts will support the conservation and proliferation of Gyr cows in the state.
IVF and embryo transfer allow cows with high genetic potential to produce more calves than through natural reproduction, where a cow typically gives birth to seven or eight calves in a lifetime.
Eggs from superior donor cows are fertilised in the laboratory, and the resulting embryos are implanted into surrogate cows.
Calves born through this method inherit the donor’s genetic traits, potentially producing more than 100 high-quality offspring from a single cow during its lifetime.
Minister Vaghani said the technology is expected to increase the number of genetically superior cows in Gujarat and boost milk production, directly benefiting livestock farmers.
The milestone positions Gujarat at the forefront of advanced livestock reproduction technology in India.