New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS): For the first time in India, using the in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) technique, a calf was born to a buffalo from a breed named 'Banni' at a private farm in Gujarat's Somnath district.

The country's first IVF buffalo calf was born out of six Banni IVF pregnancies that were established at the doorstep of the farmer, the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying said in a statement on Friday.

The Ministry runs a scheme for livestock breeding through artificial insemination methods such as through IVF where a trained technician performs the technique on the buffalo.

This first calf was born at the farm of Vinay Vala of Sushila Agro Farms.

Government records show that one of the major challenges that India has faced for some years now is of low productivity livestock.

Artificial Insemination Training Institutes (AITI) operate under the umbrella of state governments, cooperatives, National Dairy Development Board, NGOs and private agencies across the country.

The National Livestock Policy lays a special emphasis on improving productivity of livestock through enhanced artificial insemination coverage, improving availability of high genetic merit disease-free males for breeding and to creating an enabling environment for improving infrastructure supporting livestock production.