A herringbone milking machine has been installed at the National Cattle Breeding Centre (NCBC), Bumthang with support from FAOโs Technical Cooperation Program. The herringbone system is a modern milking facility designed to handle several cows at a time in an organized and hygienic manner. It ensures faster and more efficient milking, maintains high standards of milk quality, and reduces stress for both the animals and the handlers. For a nucleus cattle farm, where the focus is on maintaining pure bloodlines and high genetic materials, such a system is essential to manage larger herds effectively and guarantee consistency in milk recording and breeding programs.
As envisioned under the 13th Five Year Plan of the Department of Livestock, ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ฌ๐ฌ% ๐ฝ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ๐. The herd will serve as the countryโs nucleus, supplying ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ (๐๐๐๐ฆ) ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐๐๐ฎ๐ป. These schemes will further multiply quality stock into commercial heifers for farmers, ensuring that high-yielding and productive dairy cattle are accessible at the farm level.
This intervention is not only about modernizing infrastructure but also about strengthening the foundation of dairy breed intensification. By combining advanced facilities like the herringbone milking system with systematic breeding practices, Bhutan is investing in a stronger national herd, greater milk self-sufficiency, and improved livelihoods for farming communities.
