Gene secrets now unlocked

BANGLADESH has one of the largest buffalo populations in South Asia. However, with modernisation of farming techniques, the venerable buffalo is no longer the mainstay on our fields. The recent discovery of the complete genome of the water buffalo by two institutions, Lal Teer Livestock and Beijing Genomics Institute has however opened up a whole set of new possibilities for this animal. It is now wholly possible to develop superior breeds of buffalo, with the potential of inducting them as dairy animals for milk production or to repopulate livestock population. We wholly welcome this latest discovery in the field of genetics.
The importance of the buffalo cannot be understated. Though only 30 per cent of the cattle population is buffalo, the animal contributes 60 per cent of total milk production in the country. Meat and protein are both vital proteins for the general population. Having access to the gene pool of the buffalo could open up new research to repopulation of the water buffalo. Looking beyond the protein factor, there are significant economic gains to be made from such discovery. Needless to say, the private sector which is now heavily involved in commercial farming and dairy will be hugely interested in making required investments in further research and development to develop superior breeds. It is of paramount importance that this discovery is patented immediately, which once gotten could earn significant royalty when used internationally. One cannot forget that India earns somewhere in the vicinity of US$2billion in annual royalty from patents.