Raebareli, India – Agribusiness firm BL Agro reported Thursday a 60% pregnancy success rate in the first batch of embryo transfers involving Gir cattle imported from Brazil, a figure the company claims is a record for the industry. The embryos were transferred into 255 domestic cows at B L Kamdhenu Farms, the company’s Centre of Excellence for Cattle Breeding and Dairying Technology, according to a statement released by BL Agro.
The imported embryos originated from Fazenda Floresia, a Brazilian firm specializing in bovine reproduction. They were produced using ovum pick-up in-vitro fertilisation (OPU-IVF) and are from a lineage of Gir cattle known for their high milk yield, potentially reaching up to 40 litres per day. This contrasts sharply with the average milk production of indigenous Indian cattle, which currently stands around 4.5 litres daily.
BL Agro Managing Director Ashish Khandelwal stated that the 60% success rate was achieved in the initial transfer of 116 embryos. The company’s facility is equipped with IVF, pathology, and genomics laboratories. Recipient cows included Gir, Sahiwal, and Holstein Friesian breeds.
The Gir breed’s presence in Brazil dates back over a century, beginning with a gift of a cow from the Maharaja of Baroda to a Brazilian family. Subsequent decades of selective breeding by Brazilian researchers resulted in a genetically superior lineage focused on increased milk production. This lineage is now being reintroduced to India through BL Agro’s embryo transfer program.
Amanda Fantucci, a veterinary specialist from Fazenda Floresia, oversaw the embryo transfer process. She noted that the success rate in India exceeded that typically observed in Brazil, attributing the difference to rigorous monitoring and improved post-transfer animal care.
Research published in 2023 highlighted the importance of selecting high-efficiency oocyte donors in bovine in vitro embryo production (IVP). A study assessing Gir oocyte donors found that those with higher IVP efficiency – measured by blastocyst/oocyte ratio – resulted in a significantly increased number of pregnancies per OPU, up to 4.3 times higher than those from low-efficiency donors. The study, published in PubMed, indicated that cumulus-oocyte complex indicators were lower in high-efficiency donors.
The embryo transfer technology, utilizing OPU and IVF, has evolved to become more accessible and affordable for producers, according to Boviteq, a company specializing in bovine reproductive technologies.
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