How the Sex Sorted Semen scheme of Uttar Pradesh aims to address the menace of stray bulls?

With the ban on cow slaughter in place, Uttar Pradesh was struggling to tackle with the menace of the growing number of stray cows. To tackle this menace the Uttar Pradesh government is experimenting with sex selection to tackle stray bulls.

Sex Sorted Semen Scheme:

• The Uttar Pradesh government plans to reduce the numbers of stray bulls by making sure that they are not born.
• With Sex Sorted Semen scheme, the chances of delivering a female calf are as high as 90-95%.
• The scheme would be implemented on indigenous breeds, such as Sahiwal, Gir, Haryanvi, Tharparkar, and Gangatiri.
• To avail the benefits of the scheme, cattle-breeders are required to pay Rs 300 per conception and in the drought-prone region of Bundelkhand, the levy would be Rs 100.

Tackling Amnapratha:

• Amnapratha is a scheme widely prevalent in the Bundelkhand
• Amnapratha refers to the practice of letting loose of unproductive cattle.
• The Sex Sorted Semen scheme reduces the number of male unproductive male cattle. The reduction in the number of male calves by 90% would result in a lesser number of unproductive animals, which will bring down the number of stray and destitute cattle.
• The reduction in the number of stray bulls will also aid in bringing down the damage to crops and the number of road accidents caused by the animals.

The reports of the State Animal Husbandry Ministry had claimed that the number of stray cattle heads had increased only because the government had strictly implemented anti-cow slaughter laws and shut illegal slaughterhouses. Sex Sorted Semen scheme would aid in tackling this menace.

Topics: GS-III: Economics of Animal Rearing