In the area of dairy cattle and buffalo genomics, India and Brazil have begun a strategic partnership by signing a first of its kind Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The agreement signifies one of the biggest collaborations between the industry and government in the field of genetic improvement in livestock. Some of the main parties who signed the MoU include Embrapa from Brazil, Fazenda Floresta & DNAMARK, and Indian companies such as Leads Genetics Pvt. Ltd, B.L. Kamdhenu Farms Ltd, and Leads Connect Services Pvt. Ltd. The MoU was signed at the Embassy of India in Brasilia.
The initiative seeks to develop a Cattle and Buffalo Genomics Laboratory that is of international standard in India, combining the genomic progress achieved in Brazil with the large number of dairy breeds present in India. The initiative also seeks to improve breeds like Bos indicus, Bos taurus, and Bubalus bubalis.
The first stage of the project will be launched in the state of Uttar Pradesh, which is the largest dairy producer in India, utilizing the resources of B.L. Kamdhenu Farms’ Integrated Model Dairy Farm at Bareilly. This facility is developing into a Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Cattle Genetics and Circular Dairy Economy.
In addition to genetic development, this alliance is projected to help improve the economic livelihoods of farmers and make less use of foreign germplasm. The deal will give Brazil a proper way to enter the growing Indian dairy industry with tropical genetics, while the latter will be able to utilize tested genetic tools adapted to their conditions.
This MoU is perceived by onlookers to lay the foundation for a long-term Indo-Brazil dairy innovation corridor, which will include research and applications by the private sector and for farmers in a bid to address climate and productivity-related challenges in dairy systems around the world.
