The Andhra government is planning to take legal action against Brazil for using the germplasm (semen) of the Ongole bull to develop the breed there in violation of international agreements and the AP Biodiversity Act.
The AP State Biodiversity Board has alleged that Brazil had taken the germplasm of the Ongole bull — sought after for being immune to the mad cow disease — without the state or the Centre’s permission and this amounted to bio piracy.
The incident comes to light at a time when the state is in the process of applying for a Geographical Indicator status for the Ongole bull. Sources said that a bull was sold to a middleman by K. Ram Reddy Gopal Reddy of Khammam, who is the brother the horticulture minister R. Venkat Reddy, who in turn sent its semen to a Brazil-based company.
AP State Biodiversity Board member-secretary S.N. Jadhav has ordered a probe into the incident and preliminary reports have confirmed that the Ongole bull’s semen was indeed transferred to Brazil from Patalingala village of Kamepally mandal in Khammam district. The particular Ongole bull, Shiva, weighing more than 1.5 tonnes, was allegedly sold for `15 lakhs after it became eight years old.