The R&D has focused mostly on all aspects of sheep production. The details are:

• The research activity in animal husbandry has focussed on all aspects of sheep production. Its initial project was the importation of a herd of 30 improved dairy type sheep of the fat-tailed Awassi breed from Israel. The objective was to improve the milk production and growth rates of the local Deccani Sheep through crossbreeding. Pure Awassi ews at NARI have given upto 475 kg milk (fat content 7 to 9 per cent) in 238 days.

• A biggest crossbreeding project of its type undertaken in India was funded by CAPART, New Delhi. Under this project 40 improved bucks of the Sirohi breed from Rajasthan were kept with villagers in 40 villages of Phaltan Taluka. It demonstrated a unique method of introducing a new breed for upgrading local animals, as well as improvement of goat husbandry and health care.

• New technologies such as oestrus synchronisation, insemination with fresh neat or diluted and frozen semen and laparoscopic intrauterine insemination are being successfully used under field conditions to achieve significantly higher conception rates.

• A project funded by ACIAR, Australia has been undertaken to evaluate lamb production of three Indian breeds of meat sheep : Deccani, Bannur and Garole, including their resistance to parasites. This project also aims to determine the genetic basis of prolificacy in the Garole breed. Garole breed appears to have some resistance to gastrointestinal parasites, while Bannur breed is also promising with low lamb mortality and low disease incidence among adults.