Uttarakhand imports 240 Merino sheep from Australia to improve breeding

Uttarakhand government has imported 240 Meri sheep from Australia under National Livestock Mission to improve sheep breeding in state and increase production of quality wool. This is a revolutionary and progressive step which will prove to be a boon for farmers of state, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said at a press conference here on Thursday.

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high quality Australian breed of sheep will be used for pure line and cross-breeding programmes under a well laid out breeding plan spre over five years, which will rid state of problem of inbreeding prevalent among sheep, Rawat said. High quality germplasm will be me available to sheep breeders through use of modern artificial insemination in sheep and embryo transfer techlogy. 

Through use of techlogy, state government aims to increase high quality wool productivity from 558 metric tonnes at present to over 1,000 metric tonnes. It will also help people in mountaius regions of state to stay in ir vills and eng in sheep breeding as a sustainable ecomic activity. 

240 Meri sheep have been imported at a cost of Rs 8.5 crore, and 40 of m are male, while 200 are female, Animal Husbandry Secretary Meenakshi Sundaram said. y have been quarantined currently at a vill in Tehri district. y will be vaccinated in a month against foot and mouth disease and engd in breeding activity in a phased manner after that, Sundaram ded.

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