FAISALABAD: University of Agriculture Faisalabad’s (UAF’s) researchers have made a breakthrough in camel production by achieving first pregnancy in camel through artificial insemination and embryo transfer.

A UAF team, including Dean of Faculty of Veterinary Sciences Dr Zafar Iqbal Qureshi with UAF MPhil students Jam Muhammad Yaqub, Danish Aziz, Asim Shabir, and Asif Ali, established semen collection, semen extension, semen evaluation, and artificial insemination with fresh extended semen in the camel at the Camel Breeding and Research Institutes Rakh Mani, Bhakkar.

Researchers expect that it will enhance the camel production in order to increase the milk and meat viability.

Dr Qureshi said that Pakistan with an estimated camel population of 1.1 million ranked 8th among major camel raising countries. The UAF has introduced the modernization in camel production of the country.

He said that camel milk contains more iron, three times higher vitamin C than cow milk, more vitamins, minerals and low fat with high medical value. He said that camel milk also strengthened the immune system and it was having high medical values. He said that camel milk was also helpful for sugar patients as it was having the insulin in it.

He said that 60 percent of the country population was living below the poverty line. He said that the agriculture and livestock sector was a way forward to alleviate poverty.

UAF Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Ashraf congratulated the team and directed the UAF researchers to come up with more tangible research work to boost up the agriculture and livestock productivity of the country.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2020