Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the Bharat Bovine Breeding and Research Centre (BBBRC) at Bhildi in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district. Built with Rs 325 crore, the facility aims to improve indigenous cattle breeds, increase milk production and strengthen the dairy sector through advanced breeding technologies.

Spread across 127 acres, the centre has been established by Banas Dairy with technical support from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). It also received assistance under the Centre’s Rashtriya Gokul Mission.

During his visit, Modi toured the facility and interacted with officials to understand its operations. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Banas Dairy chairman and Gujarat Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary accompanied him.

The centre will use advanced reproductive technologies, including in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) and embryo transfer, to improve the genetic quality of indigenous cattle and buffalo breeds and has an annual target of producing 25,000 embryos.

The breeding programme will focus on cattle breeds such as Kankrej, Gir, Sahiwal and Tharparkar. It will also cover buffalo breeds, including Mehsani, Banni, Jaffarabadi and Murrah.

The initiative aims to help dairy farmers increase milk production with fewer animals. This could reduce the burden of rising livestock maintenance costs and address challenges linked to limited fodder availability.

The facility will also provide quality semen, embryos and other breeding services to livestock owners at affordable rates. These services are expected to improve productivity and genetic potential of bovines.

The project will promote scientific breeding practices and support the development of indigenous cattle breeds. It is also expected to improve the income opportunities of households dependent on dairy farming.