Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 22 August 2025
The Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services (AH&VS), A&N Administration, in collaboration with the Central Island Agricultural Research Institute (CIARI), organized a two-day training programme on Artificial Insemination (AI) in goats on August 18 and 19, 2025, at the CIARI complex. The initiative aimed at enhancing goat farming productivity and strengthening rural livelihoods through advanced reproductive techniques.
The sessions were led by Dr. T. Perumal, Senior Scientist (Animal Reproduction), and Dr. Prakash Bala, Principal Scientist (Nutrition), from CIARI’s Animal Science Division. Inaugurating the programme, Dr. Eaknath B. Chakurkar, Director, CIARI, lauded the AH&VS initiative and urged participants to adopt AI techniques to benefit goat farmers across the Islands.
On the first day, nine Senior Veterinary Officers attended the training, while 29 Veterinary Compounders took part on the second day. The participants underwent hands-on training in semen collection from bucks and insemination in does, with practical demonstrations at the CIARI Goat Farm. The programme concluded with a laboratory session on quality control and semen preparation for insemination.
As part of its goat development strategy, the AH&VS Department also plans to procure semen straws of superior breeds such as Beetal and Sirohi to upgrade local goat varieties. Officials said the move will help increase meat and milk production while improving the socio-economic conditions of rural and tribal communities in the Union Territory.
