Una, October 1 - The Himachal Pradesh government is continuously striving to provide purebred animals to livestock farmers and to modernize and create employment-oriented dairy sectors. To this end, the state's first Murrah breeding and dairy farm has been established in Barnoh, Una district. This farm, built with the joint cooperation of the central and state governments, has nine purebred Murrah buffaloes brought in for initial operations.
It is noteworthy that Chief Minister Thakur Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has always emphasized that livestock farmers are the backbone of the state's economy. The government is committed to increasing their income by providing them with high-breed animals and modern facilities, and to creating new employment opportunities for the youth. In this regard, this farm is nothing less than a gift for livestock farmers.

Purebred buffaloes will be ready
Rakesh Bhatti, Assistant Director of the Barnoh Murrah Breeding Farm, stated that the farm's objective is to breed purebred buffaloes. Pure Murrah breed calves will also be produced here, and the high-quality semen obtained from the farm will be collected and distributed throughout the state for artificial insemination through departmental semen centers.
He stated that for initial operations, nine Murrah buffaloes have been brought from the National Dairy Development Center in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. Priority was given to the buffaloes' generational production potential and medical examination in the selection process.
Bhatti stated that all the buffaloes brought are pregnant, and in the next 2-3 months, along with breeding, the number of buffaloes on the farm will increase, and milk production will also begin.
In the future, the number of animals on the farm will be increased to 50. Murrah breed buffaloes yield an average of 15-20 liters of milk. In the initial phase, the milk produced will be provided to local dairy centers, and as production increases in the future, it will also be supplied to Milkfed.

Modern infrastructure built at a cost of 5.06 crore rupees
Rakesh Bhatti stated that a total of 5.06 crore rupees were spent on the construction of this Murrah breeding center, made possible through joint participation of the central and state governments. Of this, 4.40 crore rupees were spent on infrastructure and 6.6 million rupees on modern machinery and animal care. The government has allocated 3.6 million rupees for the purchase of high-quality buffaloes, of which 15.49 million rupees have been spent on nine Murrah buffaloes so far.

Training will increase income
The Assistant Director stated that livestock farmers will receive a week-long training at Barnoh Farm. Upon completion, they will be awarded certificates that will help them run dairy units and obtain loans. The training will cover modern techniques for milk production, animal husbandry management, milk marketing, and the production of products such as cheese, khoya, and ghee.

A milestone in strengthening the rural economy
Deputy Commissioner Jatin Lal said that in line with the vision of Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, efforts are ongoing to support livestock farmers and strengthen the rural economy in the district. The Barnoh Murrah Breeding Center will prove to be a milestone in this direction and will benefit livestock farmers not only in Una but also in the surrounding districts.