Assam has achieved a major breakthrough in livestock biotechnology with the birth of the world’s first female calf of the indigenous Lakhimi cattle breed through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF).
The landmark achievement took place at the IVF Laboratory of the College of Veterinary Science under the Assam Veterinary and Fishery University at Khanapara, Guwahati. The laboratory was established with financial support under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM).
The calf was produced through in-vitro embryo production using an embryo developed from a pure Lakhimi donor cow and semen from a pure Lakhimi bull. The embryo was subsequently transferred to a crossbred recipient heifer, resulting in the birth of the female calf.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described the development as a historic achievement for the state.
“Today Assam has achieved something historic — a beautiful convergence of Sabhyata, Sanskriti & Srijan,” Sarma said in a post on X.
He said the birth of the world’s first IVF female Lakhimi calf could open new opportunities for Assam’s livestock and dairy sector, particularly in indigenous breed conservation, disease control, improved milk productivity and higher farmer incomes.
Sarma also congratulated the veterinary scientists and professionals involved in the achievement.
The development is being viewed as an important step towards conserving and multiplying Lakhimi cattle, Assam’s only registered indigenous cattle breed.
Lakhimi is an indigenous dual-purpose cattle breed native to Assam and is well adapted to the state’s tropical and subtropical climatic conditions. The breed is known for its resilience and heat tolerance and has traditionally been reared for both light agricultural work and milk production.
The successful birth of the IVF calf demonstrates the potential of assisted reproductive technologies in preserving valuable indigenous genetic resources. Scientists expect the technology to help increase the population of genetically superior Lakhimi cattle while retaining the breed’s distinctive characteristics.
The achievement could also provide a new technological foundation for Assam’s dairy sector by combining traditional indigenous cattle resources with modern reproductive technologies.
With the successful production and birth of the IVF-derived calf, Assam has taken a significant step towards scientific conservation, genetic improvement and sustainable development of its indigenous cattle population.
