Promising start

Sexed semen technology can revolutionise India's dairy sector. But its impact on biodiversity must not be ignored

- SHAGUN HAPUR

RAVINDRA MAWI'S eyes light up as he talks about Lakshmi. After all, the cow is more than just a source of milk for Mawi—she promises a prosperous future for the 36-year-old dairy farmer from Uttar Pradesh's Fatehpur Matnoura village, who now has access to the cutting-edge sexed semen technology that guarantees a 90 per cent chance of delivering female calf. On March 16, 2025, Lakshmi was artificially inseminated with sexed semen.

The technology is a beacon of hope for small farm households like Mawi's, whose economic well-being is determined by the productivity of livestock. While dairy cows yield a regular income through milk production, a male calf or bull is considered a burden since mechanisation has replaced draught power in agriculture. Farmers Down To Earth (DTE) spoke to in Uttar Pradesh say that the cost of rearing and maintaining a cattle ranges between ₹4,000 and ₹10,000 a month. So they usually abandon the bulls, though some keep the male buffaloes as they can be sold for slaughter. “Nobody wants a male. You would not find a bull in any home here,” says dairy farmer Bhim Dharamvir Singh of Fatehpur Matnoura village. Singh says the technology is a boon for farmers like him. In June last year, he got the artificial insemination of his cow done using sexed semen. The calf will be able to produce milk after two years, doubling his income.

Small wonder, then, that gender selection, which raises ethical concerns in human societies due to potential for disrupting natural sex ratios and causing societal imbalances and has been declared illegal in many countries including India, is now being touted as the cure to the stray cattle menace and to revolutionise India's milk production.