Pig farmers in the North-East could soon get easier access to artificial insemination, after Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, also known as Lalan Singh, released a national guide to scientific pig breeding.
He released the publication, titled "Minimum Standard Protocol for Semen Production and Standard Operating Procedures for Artificial Insemination using Liquid Semen in Pigs", on 2 November 2026 during a two-day visit to Sikkim.
What the protocol covers
The document sets standard procedures for running pig semen production laboratories and for delivering artificial insemination services across states. It covers the whole chain: choosing breeding boars; collecting, evaluating, processing, storing and transporting semen; laboratory quality management; and disease prevention and biosecurity.
The ministry expects the guide to help states, veterinarians, breeding centres and farmers adopt modern breeding, improve reproductive efficiency and help conserve and upgrade indigenous pig breeds.
Why the North-East
India had 9.06 million pigs in the 20th Livestock Census of 2019, or 1.7% of all livestock. The North-Eastern Region holds nearly 45% of the national pig population. Indigenous and non-descript pigs make up about 79% of all pigs, which the ministry says leaves wide scope for genetic improvement.
Better breeding material and insemination services are, it says, critical to raising productivity and pork production and improving the livelihoods of small pig farmers.
What happens next
The release says the protocol is available as a PDF and expects it to raise output and income in the region. It sets no targets or dates for states to adopt it.
Photos
Source: official release by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, issued through the Press Information Bureau, Government of India (06 NOV 2026 7:17AM by PIB Delhi). Read the full official text: Hon’ble Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh Releases Publication Titled “Minimum Standard Protocol for Semen Production and Standard Operating Procedures for Artificial Insemination using Liquid Semen in Pigs” to Accelerate Genetic Improvement and Enhance Livelihoods, Especially in North-East India.
How we verified this
VerifiedEvery fact, figure and quotation is taken from the official PIB release (Release ID 2333399) issued by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying on 06 NOV 2026 7:17AM by PIB Delhi; checked against the source on publication. Story written by BDT from that release; no outside facts added.
Sources
- 1.Hon’ble Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh Releases Publication Titled “Minimum Standard Protocol for Semen Production and Standard Operating Procedures for — Press Information Bureau, Government of India
