Gujarat Farmers Embrace Sexed Semen Technology as Female Calf Births Cross 90%

Gandhinagar | Gujarat — Taufiqbhai Momin, a livestock farmer from Koita village in Saraswati taluka of Patan district, owns 40 cows and 130 buffaloes. He produces approximately 250 litres of milk daily. Until recently, he used to worry that when a cow or buffalo became pregnant, if a male calf was born, how he would bear the cost of raising it. However, this concern has now been resolved. By using sexed semen technology for artificial insemination in his animals, all six of his cows gave birth only to female calves.

“Due to this new technology introduced by the government, we have benefited greatly. With the birth of male calves being avoided, maintenance costs have reduced. Moreover, milk production has increased, and within just two years, the female calves start producing milk, which boosts our income. Now I am using this technology regularly,” said Taufiqbhai Momin, explaining the benefits of sexed semen technology.

Livestock farmers often worry whether a cow or buffalo will give birth to a male calf, which is less economically beneficial. However, farmers in Gujarat are now being freed from this concern.

The Animal Husbandry Department of the Gujarat government has made significant efforts to promote the use of sexed semen technology, achieving notable success. Advances in scientific methods now allow for the birth of female calves with up to 90% accuracy.

Semen Sexing Institute Established in Patan

The state has established the “Gujarat Bovine Semen Sexing Institute” in Patan. A project for producing 800,000 sexed semen doses was approved by the Government of India in 2018–19, with 60% funding from the Centre and 40% from the state. Production began in June 2021, and by February 2026, the institute had completed production of 800,000 doses.

Significant Results

By February 2026, about 341,000 doses had been used through field offices of the Animal Husbandry Department. This resulted in 63,439 pregnancies, leading to the birth of 37,469 calves. Of these, only 3,285 were male, while 34,184 were female—indicating a success rate of approximately 91.23% female births.

Sexed semen technology is revolutionizing animal husbandry and dairy production by enabling farmers to predetermine the sex of offspring. Farmers can now ensure that cows and buffaloes give birth predominantly to female calves.

What is Sexed Semen?

Naturally, male semen contains two types of chromosomes: “X” and “Y”.

• “Y” chromosome results in male offspring 
• “X” chromosome results in female offspring 

Under normal conditions, the probability of male or female birth is roughly 50:50. However, sexed semen technology scientifically separates or deactivates specific chromosomes, allowing the production of frozen semen doses that can ensure female births with around 90% accuracy.

Reduced Costs, Increased Income

The use of sexed semen significantly reduces the birth of male calves, thereby lowering the cost of feed and maintenance. Female calves contribute to milk production within a few years, increasing farmers’ income. It also reduces the need to purchase animals from outside, minimizing the risk of disease transmission.

Farmers can further earn by selling surplus female calves. The technology also accelerates genetic improvement in livestock.

Additionally, advanced breeding techniques such as Progeny Testing (P.T.), Embryo Transfer (E.T.), and In Vitro Fertilization (I.V.F.) have become more effective due to this innovation.

Government Subsidy Makes Technology Affordable

The production cost of one sexed semen dose is ₹710. However, to ensure accessibility, the government initially charged farmers ₹300 per dose, which has now been reduced to just ₹50 per dose. Farmers can avail artificial insemination services through departmental field offices at this highly subsidized rate.

Milk unions also produce sexed semen doses 

Milk unions across the state are also producing sexed semen doses and offering artificial insemination services at nominal costs.

During 2025–26, Gujarat’s milk unions produced 709,000 sexed frozen semen doses and carried out 335,000 inseminations. This resulted in 52,246 pregnancies and 30,719 births, of which 24,968 (around 81%) were female calves.