Ongole cattle saved from extinction

Lam research station has two lakh doses of semen to recreate original breed

Guntur: The Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) has embarked upon a mission of conservation of pure Ongole breed bull, an endangered species. As farmers have dumped the much sought after bull in favour of tractors, it has been left to the scientific community to preserve it for posterity.

The Lam Livestock Research Station (LSRS), about 10 km from here, has been chosen by ICAR to assist it in preserving the Ongole breed bull and milch cattle. The Lam village, where once Lamas lived and established LSRS in 1926, has been growing into one of the country’s premier research stations.

It is under the control of Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University, Tirupati. The LSRS has preserved two lakh doses of semen to conserve the breed for posterity.

The Ongole breed cattle, both bull and milch animal, are internationally recognised. As many as 120 million cattle were exported to Brazil during the British rule. The Latin American countries too have evinced much interest in the breed and started importing them.

The Union government in 1986 recognised the vast potential of the Ongole cattle to generate huge foreign exchange.

The LSRS, which hitherto did not receive wide recognition, is set to become an internationally renowned research institute. The campus houses not only a vast number of semen species, but also 500 cows in stalls. It has a massive grazing field spread over 200 acres.

Senior LSRS scientist Dr M V Dharma Rao told The Hans India that the centre had so far produced 3,900 Ongole calves. The Lam station has made available 3,500 Ongole cattle to people in the State. The station has also taken up free insemination programme to preserve the endangered Ongole cattle.