Latest news with #NDRI
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
NDRI develops easy to digest goat milk cheese, trays using apricot kernels from Ladakh
ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) in Karnal has introduced easily digestible goat milk cottage cheese, joha rice-based kheer and prepared biodegradable trays using apricot kernel. The newly developed products by the dairy institute were introduced before the students, public and the media during an event organised at the campus to mark World Milk Day on Sunday. Officials said that the programme titled as 'Let's Celebrate the Power of Dairy', was chaired by ICAR-ATARI, Jodhpur director JP Mishra and also attended by ICAR-NDRI director and vice-chancellor Dheer Singh and joint director (academics) AK Singh, joint director (research) Rajan Sharma and others. Sharing details about the products, the director said that non-bovine milk is a niche area in which NDRI has been working for the last several years. 'NDRI has developed various value-added products from goat and camel milk. Products like goat milk cottage cheese, which is easily digestible and possesses antioxidant and antibacterial properties, has been developed along with joha rice-based kheer,' he said. Joha rice, Singh said, is an aromatic rice cultivated in Assam and is known for its low glycaemic index and rich in several antioxidants, flavonoids, and phenolics. The milk products, NDRI scientists said, will be available at the milk parlour after the formalities are completed in the next two months. The director further said that the institute scientists have also prepared biodegradable trays using apricot kernels, which is considered 100% waste. 'Apricot kernel based biodegradable packaging can be used for the packaging of dairy products such as sweets. The NDRI is also supporting prospective entrepreneurs by nurturing their ideas,' he added. Scientists said that they have started exploring using these trays made of apricot kernel from the Ladakh region, to replace plastic-based trays used in pinni packs. About the milk productivity and its economies, Singh said that Indian dairy sector involves about 450 million small and marginal farmers and the contribution of dairy and animal husbandry sector to India's GDP is 4.5% and the contribution of dairy sector to agriculture sector is 24%, which is valued around ₹10 Lakh crore and it is highest in the world. He further emphasised that ICAR-NDRI supported the nation's white revolution by producing quality germ plasm, elite breeds, skilled manpower and valuable insights and timely inputs. 'Due to these collective efforts, India has been reigning as the largest milk producer of the World since 1998. Currently, the annual milk production in India is 239 million metric tonnes (MMT) and per capita milk availability is 471 gallons per day. The per capita availability of milk in India is higher than the world's average per capita availability i.e. 322 gallons per day,' he added.
Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Science
- Indian Express
Kashmir university researchers produce India's first gene-edited sheep: ‘Birth of a new era'
A team of researchers from the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences (SKUAST) in Srinagar has produced India's first gene-edited sheep. The gene-editing of the sheep was possible after four years of research and will enhance the muscle mass of the animal by 30%, the researchers said. The breakthrough comes after the release of India's first gene-edited rice variety recently. 'As of now, this has been done at the research level,' said Prof Riaz Ahmad Shah, who led a team of five researchers at SKUAST. 'The technique has multiple applications. We can edit the genes responsible for diseases to produce disease-resistant animals. It can also help in the twinning of animals at birth,' he said. The team of researchers edited the myostatin gene of the lamb that is responsible for regulating the growth of muscle in the sheep. 'By disrupting the sheep, the muscle mass in the animal is enhanced by nearly 30%, a trait naturally absent in Indian sheep breeds but known in select European breeds like the Texel,' Prof Shah said. 'The introduction of this mutation through gene editing, and not through traditional crossbreeding, represents a technological leap.' Earlier, a team of researchers at the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) had developed a gene-edited embryo of a buffalo. 'This is not just the birth of a lamb, but the birth of a new era in livestock genetics in India,' said Dr Nazir Ahmad Ganai, vice chancellor of SKUAST-Kashmir. 'With gene editing, we have the ability to bring precise, beneficial changes without introducing foreign DNA, making the process efficient, safe, and potentially acceptable to both regulators and consumers.' The project was sponsored by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Shah said, 'The gene editing was performed using CRISPR-Cas9 technology and adhered to international biosafety protocols.' The gene-editing technique, CRISPR, won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. 'The edited sheep doesn't contain any foreign DNA, thus distinguishing it from transgenic organisms. This can pave the way for regulatory approval under India's evolving biotech policy framework,' he said. A veteran scientist, Shah is also credited with the development of the first cloned Pashmina goat, Noori, in 2012. The Pashmina goat survived for 11 years and produced seven kids. With a specialisation in Animal Cloning and Gene Editing, Shah has also played a key role in producing the world's first cloned buffalo at NDRI, Karnal. 'The government is already in the process of making regulations for gene-edited animals. Once that is done, and it is allowed at the farmer level, it will have a widespread application,' he said.
Hindustan Times
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Moving towards record wheat production this year: Chouhan
Union agriculture and farmers' welfare minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday expressed high hopes that the country will witness record wheat production during the ongoing Rabi season and that has been only possible due to high yielding variety of seeds developed by the wheat scientists. The minister said this during 'Krishak Sanwad', a dialogue with the farmers and wheat experts organised at Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR) in Karnal. Chouhan, who was on a day long visit here, also inaugurated a Genome Editing Lab funded by 'Enhancing Climate Resilience and Ensuring Food Security with Genome Editing Tools', one of the schemes by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The lab aims to utilise modern genomic tools to enhance desired traits for better adaptation and enriched grain quality, the IIWBR said. '25% increase in production in last decade' During a brief interaction with Hindustan Times, Chouhan said that despite climatic change and increasing temperatures, the productivity of wheat has not declined in the country. 'It is a proud moment for the country that despite the climate change, there has been an increase in wheat production by 25% in the last one decade, since Narendra Modi took over as Prime Minister of the country. The farmers and scientists have done a commendable job,' he said. When asked about this year's figures for wheat yield, the union minister said, 'Our teams are currently gathering data from the fields, and it will be shared as and when it is compiled.' However, Chouhan said that at the farmer's gathering, a local peasant Vikas Chaudhary informed him about getting wheat yield of 70 quintals per hectare (nearly 28 quintals per acre) at his farm using seeds from IIWBR. 'The wheat and barley institute has so far developed bio-fortified verities of wheat that are climate resilient and water intensive, and we aim to develop more of them,' he added. Senior agricultural officials said that the field surveys are underway in several regions of Haryana as well and are likely to conclude by the end of the month. The country is aiming to achieve an annual wheat production of 115 million tonnes (MT) in the 2024-25 season as against 113.2 MT achieved during the last season, which was an all-time high. India, which is the second-largest wheat grower after China, achieved this feat despite a fall in area under cultivation. During his public address with the farmers, the minister said that there was time in the 1960s, when the country was depended on 'rejected' wheat from the United States and now it is not only self-reliant, but is also exporting the crop to other countries, in free of cost to a few of them. 21st convocation at NDRI Earlier in the day, the minister also chaired the 21st convocation ceremony of ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI). The minister conferred degrees to a total of 201 students from various out of which 32 students were awarded BTech degree, 98 students were awarded master's degree and 71 researchers were awarded PhD degrees NDRI director Dheer Singh said the Best Thesis Research Award was given to Liza S, Animal Physiology in the Doctoral Programme; Poornima, Dairy Technology in the Processing Group and P Akshith Sai in Social Sciences and Management. Similarly, awards were also given to students of the master's programme as well, while Dairy Extension Division of the NDRI was handed over the Best Division Award for the year 2024. During his address, the minister urged the students to think beyond salary packages and become a citizen with values for the society, also aiming to provide employment and skills to the youth. The chief guest further added that convocation is an opportunity to take a pledge when the students completing their education ponder over imparting the nation a novel direction. Bhagirath Chaudhary, Union minister of state for agriculture Raghavendra Bhatta, deputy director general (Animal Science), ICAR MS Chauhan, vice chancellor GBPUAT Pantnagar Srinivas Rao, director ICAR-IARI Pusa Campus other officials of the institute and local dignitaries were present. In the evening, Chouhan was the chief speaker at a program organised by the Indian Medical Association on 'One Nation-One Election'.
