The proposed policy framework will be translated into specific actions through a ten year perspective plan for the development of livestock in the State. The plan covers all species of livestock including poultry and spans a ten year period from 2002 to 2012 for implementation in two phases, each of five years: Phase I – 2002-2007 and Phase II – 2007-2012.

The Government of India is in the process of giving final approvals for the “National Project for Cattle and Buffalo Breeding” which more or less overlaps the state development plan discussed here and it has many commonalities with the cattle and buffalo breeding part of this plan. The strategies and action plan for cattle and buffalo breeding in both are therefore identical and the state plan is designed to merge with the national project and to receive full funding for it from the national project.

The action plan under the state livestock development plan (SLDP) is designed area and species specific, staggering the implementation process in consonance with the development status of the area and ability of the farming community there to absorb the changes to their advantage. All the 30 districts in the state are grouped into three categories: Category A – most potential; B - Potential and C – least potential, based on several criteria specifically relevant to dairy production. The typification of areas of development of other species is on the basis of specific animal population size, households owning the different species of livestock and production aggregates of livestock produce.

The plan will be implemented in the state by a consortium of implementing agencies, the State Department of Fisheries and Animal Resources Development; the proposed “Orissa Livestock Resource Development Society”, the Orissa State Milk Producers’ Cooperative Federation, the Utkal Gomangal Samiti, the Orissa State Poultry Products Co-operative Marketing Federation and other agencies like Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Voluntary Organisations (VOs), Bilateral / Multilateral Assistance Projects, etc., that the Government of Orissa designates as “Implementing Agencies”.

Project funding will come from two major sources: State Plan and Non-plan Budgets, Central Plan Assistance and Institutional Finance. The major investment for cattle and buffalo breeding component will be sourced from the Central Project for Cattle and Buffalo Breeding.

4.1 Action Plan for Cattle and Buffalo Breeding in Orissa
The plan will progressively bring under organized breeding operations increasing numbers of adult female populations of cattle and buffalo during the 10th year plan period 2002-2007, 50 per cent of the indigenous cattle, 70 per cent of the cross bred cattle and 40 per cent of the buffaloes.

The development tasks under the cattle and buffalo development plan are:

1. Incorporation of Orissa Livestock Resource Development Society (OLRDS) as the Principal Implementing Agency of the cattle and buffalo breeding plan in the state and transfer to the Society: 
   
   (i) all the frozen semen production stations in the state: (ii) all LN2 plants; (iii) all existing semen banks, and (iv) all the livestock breeding farms. The Deptt. shall constitute a Task Force under the Chairmanship of the Agriculture Production Commissioner to go into the details of transfer of the said assets to the Society. The Task Force will do an exercise of selecting those farms which can be revived and be an asset to the Society. In all other cases the land and assets will be sold and money be deposited in Govt. Treasury. The Task Force shall comprise the following members:
   
   i) Agriculture Production Commissioner – Chairman
   ii) Principal Secy./ Commisonner-cum-Secy., - Member
   Fisheries & Animal Resources Development.
   iii) Principal Secy./Special Secy. – Member
   Finance Department.
   iv) Special Secy, P&C Deptt. – Member
   v) Director, Animal Husbandry & Vet. Service – Member
   vi) Managing Director, OMFED – Member
   vii) Chief Project Adviser, IS-NRM Progr. Orissa – Member
   viii) Dean, Veterinary College, OUAT – Member
   ix) Regional Director, NDDB, Orissa – Member
   x) Dr. Kornel Das, Ex-Director, 
   Central Cattle Breeding Farm, Semilguda, Koraput. – Member
   xi) Jt. Director, HID, Directorate of - Member -Secretary
   Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Service
   
   The Task Force will decide the question of formation of district level societies and signing of M.O.U.s with the users’ society.

2. Convert in a phased manner all the Government AI centers to mobile AI practices and allow the Government employed inseminators to practise doorstep delivery of AI as a paid service.

3. Conversion of the DCS (Dairy Co-operative Society) based AI centers in the milk cooperative sector into cluster AI practices covering about six society villages under each cluster practice; and start new, mobile cluster AI practices to bring all the DCSs under AI coverage.

4. New stationary AI centers will be opened under the Department in B and C category districts to intensify breeding coverage.

5. Set up mobile AI practice by trained private AI practitioners in large numbers, to expand the coverage of breeding female cattle and buffalo; and to deliver AI at the farmers door step as a paid service.

6. In areas inaccessible and unsuitable for AI, selected bulls will be strategically stationed for natural service.

7. Expand and strengthen the existing two frozen semen production stations at Cuttack and Bhawanipatna and establish a new Frozen Semen Production Station at Chipilima to enhance production of frozen semen.

8. Strengthen all existing semen banks and establish new semen banks to enhance distributed storage of frozen semen and liquid nitrogen, and delivery of both to all AI practitioners.

9. Establish infrastructure for the bulk movement and distributed bulk storage of liquid nitrogen in the state and manage the liquid nitrogen delivery system.

10. Strengthen the training facilities in the state and initiate refresher training of all the in-service Inseminators and start basic training of new mobile AI practitioners. 

11. Set in motion a quality assurance programme covering all aspects of the AI service in the state: Bulls, Semen, Semen Production Stations and AI Service across the board.

12. Establish systematic field performance recording programmes and progeny testing of AI bulls as a regular and continuing requirement for bull selection.

Breeding policy for the cattle under the project will be:

1. In order to improve the body size and body weight of the local cattle both for producing good work animals as well as a good foundation stock for cross breeding, Haryana breed will be used only for upgrading Binjharpuri Cattle and nondescript animals of relatively larger size available for any other areas. In the districts like Kalahandi, Nuapada & Koraput, short statured cattle are generally used for draught purposes. These cattle are used to pull bullock carts with wheels of smaller size. It will, therefore, be desirable to use Red Sindhi to upgrade these cattle for producing dual purpose progenies.

2. For milch animal production, it will be necessary to upgrade the local cattle with exotic bulls. Jersey and Holstein will be used as improver breeds. However, looking to climatic condition of the state and taking economic condition of the farmers into consideration, Jersey has been anticipated as the breed of choice for large scale cross breeding of the local cattle. Holstein, however, can be used as improver breed only in limited areas where ambient temperature does not go very high, i.e. beyond 40º C and the farmers are resourceful to provide feed and other inputs to the Holstein cross breeds.

3. The inter se mating population should be of exotic & local bulls. This will avoid procurement of large number of exotic and Haryana bulls and also local half breds will be more adoptive.

4. Murrah buffalo bulls can be used for upgrading the local buffaloes for producing dual purpose animals (milch and draught). In order to maintain and conserve local breeds for buffaloes, certain areas in the breeding tracts of Parlakhemundi, Sambalpur and Chilika may be earmarked for selective breeding by using selected buffaloes bulls of respective breeds.

5. In order to preserve the native breeds (germplasm) like Binjharpuri, Ghumsari, Motu etc. in their home tracts from its extinction / dilution, efforts should be made to preserve them.

6. Research on breeding of cows and buffaloes and performance of the progenies may be taken up.

7. The maximum level of exotic blood be preferably maintained at 62.5%.

Project Implementation
Four implementing agencies will be involved with project implementation in addition to any voluntary agencies and bilateral projects designated by the Government of Orissa: 

1. The Orissa Livestock Resource Development Society (OLRDS),

2. The Department of Fisheries and ARD,

3. The Orissa State Co-operative Milk Producers Federation (OMFED), and (iv) the Utkal Gomangal Samiti.

The OLRDS will be the principal implementing agency for the cattle and buffalo breeding plan. It will generate all the genetic inputs for breeding like evaluated bulls, frozen semen, liquid nitrogen and will deliver the semen and liquid nitrogen to all AI practitioners in the state, on a regular, systematic and continued basis. All infrastructures for AI except the field AI centers will be transferred to the society. The Society will establish additional facilities needed.

The Department of Fisheries and ARD will continue to own and operate all the AI centres, but will progressively convert them into mobile practices delivering AI at the farmers door-step. The Department will train Inseminators and all Inseminators under all agencies practising AI in the state will be tested and licensed by the Department.

The OMFED will convert all the existing DCS AI centers into mobile cluster AI practices to bring all DCSs under AI coverage. The OMFED and the milk unions will carry out the field recording programme for progeny testing on behalf of the OLRDS and will be reimbursed all costs for the programme by OLRDS.

The Utkal Gomangal Samiti will be responsible for launching a large Natural Service (NS) Bull programme for providing breeding facilities in villages where AI is not feasible. They will select and raise the Haryana, cross bred and Murrah bulls required for the NS Scheme. The UGS will also launch a promotion and rearing programme for popularizing cross bred bullocks among the farming community.

4.2 Meat Animal Development Plan
Meat animals in Orissa are sheep, goat and pig. Cattle are used for meat only to a very small extent and come under the cattle and buffalo development plan. Poultry are dealt with separately under poultry development plan.

Recommended breeding policy for sheep and goat is selective breeding within the existing distinctive Orissa breeds of sheep and goat as they have sufficient potential for improvement in body weight and meat output through selective breeding.

Recommended breeding policy for pig is cross breeding of local pig with Large White Yorkshire / Charmukha and use of cross bred boars for grading up. In well endowed areas and in progressive farms, progressive grading up with the exotic breeds is recommended.

Large scale promotion of breeding stock production for sheep and goat through large and medium farmers and promotion of breeders associations for input supply, training and extension are the components of meat animal development plan. The OUAT in the Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics will have a pragmatic and comprehensive technical programme and selection parameters for launching of a massive breeding stock of Duck, Doe, Ram and Ewe. Experience of Maharastra in boar breeding will also be taken into account.

Sheep and Goat development programmes will focus on districts: Sheep: Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Bolangir, Gnajam and Kalahandi; Goat: Sundargarh, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Balasore, Bolangir and Ganjam. The proposed programmes are: Promotional programmes for development and supply of breeding rams and bucks through selected breeders, Skill training of rural technicians and promotion of Breeders’ Association, Self-help groups, Voluntary and non-Governmental organizations. There will also be a supporting and subsidy component in the programmes.
 
For pig development the focus districts will be: Sundargarh, Mayurbhanj, Koraput, Subarnapur, Malkangiri, Rayagada and Keonjhar. The thrust programme is promotion, development and supply of cross bred and graded breeding boars and supporting credit and subsidy.

4.3 Poultry Development Plan
Poultry development plan focuses on the desi fowls in the backyard units which account for over 80 per cent of all fowls in the state. The organized poultry industry in the state is capable of meeting all their development needs through the industry itself and needs only enabling policy support from the Government.

The recommended breeding policy for backyard poultry is selective breeding in organized farms for large scale generation of breeding stock, particularly cocks for supply to the backyard units. The goal is for improving the growth rate and body weight without compromising the current levels of egg production.

The six state poultry farms will be transferred to the OPOLFED and the OPOLFED will be responsible for starting in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries and ARD and the OUAT a selection programme based on sire family selection. The OPOLFED will raise a large number of breeding cocks and hens and will supply them to the backyard units at market price, as two-week-old chicks. Emphasis will also be laid to experiment Australian variety basing on the experience of cyclone ravaged areas where a sizeable number of such cocks were distributed. The recommended breeding policy for backyard poultry through selective breeding in origanised farms will be taken up.

The other inputs needed by the backyard system are vaccination and extension support. A poultry breeders’ association will be promoted to look after the extension support and development of the desi birds. The association will also arrange skill training with the help of the Department and self help groups in the villages.

Districts chosen for focused action for backyard poultry development programmes are: Koraput, Mayurbhanj, Ganjam, Keonjhar, Sundargarh and Balasore. The programmes are: promoting a poultry breeders’ association, promotion of Non Governmental Organizations and Self Help Groups for training and technology transfer, promotion of genetic inputs, subsidies and credit for backyard system.