Kolkata: On Valentine's Day, a Saudia Cargo chartered freighter landed at Kolkata airport with a unique consignment. In its cavernous belly were 36 thoroughbred young German bulls, ready to inseminate cows that will then deliver high genetic merit bulls and cows with higher milk productivity.
The 36 Holstein Friesian bulls that arrived in Kolkata were among the 76 bulls that were loaded in the plane at Frankfurt. Of them, 40 were offloaded in Chennai while the rest made their way to Kolkata. The bulls were imported by National Dairy Development Board for a national breeding programme to improve the genetic potential of Indian cows under the National Dairy Plan.
"This is the largest consignment of live animals handled at Kolkata airport in recent years" Airports Authority of India joint general manager (cargo operations) Girish Sharma said.
The bulls, between six months and a year old and weighing around 300 kg each, are being quarantined and will be under observation for 30 days.
"The bulls have been kept in air-conditioned sheds so that they do not feel any discomfort," an official at the airport quarantine section said. Regional quarantine officer D Biswas had flown to Germany on February 7 to be briefed on how to take care of bulls.
19/02/15 Subhro Niyogi/Times of India
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The 36 Holstein Friesian bulls that arrived in Kolkata were among the 76 bulls that were loaded in the plane at Frankfurt. Of them, 40 were offloaded in Chennai while the rest made their way to Kolkata. The bulls were imported by National Dairy Development Board for a national breeding programme to improve the genetic potential of Indian cows under the National Dairy Plan.
"This is the largest consignment of live animals handled at Kolkata airport in recent years" Airports Authority of India joint general manager (cargo operations) Girish Sharma said.
The bulls, between six months and a year old and weighing around 300 kg each, are being quarantined and will be under observation for 30 days.
"The bulls have been kept in air-conditioned sheds so that they do not feel any discomfort," an official at the airport quarantine section said. Regional quarantine officer D Biswas had flown to Germany on February 7 to be briefed on how to take care of bulls.
19/02/15 Subhro Niyogi/Times of India
