Indian Indigenous Cattle

23 head of cattle are being reared in a farm house near Udupi Three generations of a family have been conserving and breeding indigenous breeds of cattle here. The family has 23 head of cattle of Gir, Sahiwal, Red Sindhi, and Ongole breeds at Uppinakote village, about 18 km from Udupi. They are being reared in the farm house of 36-year-old Mohammed Irshad Abideen. His younger brothers, Naushad Ahmed, Mumshad Alam, and Sheik Mudassar, are supporting him in running the farm house. Explaining their love for native breeds of cattle, Mr. Abideen said his grandfather Hanif Shah Saheb used to rear Malnad Gidda. His father, Jainulla Abideen, who used to rear Jersey and HF breeds for some time, later shifted to Malnad Gidda, Punganur, and Sahiwal breeds. Mr. Abideen was engaged in helping his father ever since he completed his second year pre-university course. However, the family’s interest in indigenous cattle took a leap when Mr. Ahmed, who works as an engineer in Saudi Arabia, had gone ...

TAMIL NADU Lack of grazing grounds could halt rise in Toda buffalo population in the Nilgiris Rohan Premkumar UDHAGAMANDALAM, April 25, 2019 00:00 IST Updated: April 25, 2019 04:20 IST Share Article PRINT A A A Vanishing grasslands :Toda buffaloes grazing at Thalaikundah near Udhagamandalam.M . SathyamoorthyM_ Sathyamoorthy Vanishing grasslands :Toda buffaloes grazing at Thalaikundah near Udhagamandalam.M . SathyamoorthyM_ Sathyamoorthy Wattle and pine trees have spread over much of the grasslands The population of the Toda buffalo at Muthanadu Mund near Udhagamandalam, which saw a slight rebound in the last few years, is being limited due to a lack of grazing grounds for the herd, local Toda residents said. Members of the tribe residing in the village, which is known as the “Motherland of the Todas” due to its importance in Toda culture, told The Hindu that the population of the buffaloes had seen a slight increase over the last few years to around 70 heads, from a...

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This is the news about a indigenous Alambadi Cattle which lives in Cauvery river bank in the verge of extinction due to fodder shortage..... காவிரி கரையோர கிராமங்களில் தீவன தட்டுப்பாடு : ஆலம்பாடி இன மாடுகள் அழிந்து போகும் அபாயம் 2018-02-12@ 10:53:14 மேட்டூர்: காவிரி வறண்டு வருவதால், கால்நடைகளுக்கு தீவன தட்டுப்பாடு அபாயம் ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது. இதனால், ஆலம்பாடி இன மாடுகள் முற்றிலும் அழிந்து போகும் நிலை உருவாகியுள்ளது. தமிழகத்திற்கு உரிய நீரை கர்நாடகம் வழங்காததாலும், போதிய மழை பெய்யாததாலும் கடந்த ஆண்டு, காவிரி வறண்டு போனது. இதனால் பண்ணவாடி, கோட்டையூர், செட்டிப்பட்டி பரிசல் துறைகளில் காவிரியை மோட்டார் படகிலும், பரிசலிலும் கடந்து சென்ற நிலை மாறி இருசக்கர வாகனங்களிலும், டெம்போக்களிலும் மக்கள் கடந்து செல்லும் நிலை ஏற்பட்டது. பரந்து விரிந்த காவிரி வறண்ட நிலையில் நடந்து சென்றும் கடந்தனர். மேட்டூர் அணை வரலாற்றில், காவிரியை வாகனத்தில் கடந்து சென்ற நிலை கடந்த ஆண்டு தான் ஏற்பட்டது. குடிநீருக்கு கடும் தட்டுப்பாடு ஏற்பட்டதோடு, கால்நடைகளுக்கு தண்ணீர் மற்றும் தீவன தட்டுப்பாடு ஏற்பட்டு ...

This year, nearly 14,700 Kangayam cattle, which include 3,400 cows and remaining bulls/ oxen/ calves, were traded at the fair. Dwindling population and sale of genetically pure Kangayam cattle are becoming a cause for worry. —Photo: R. VIMAL KUMAR The 1,000-odd years old cattle mela at Kannapuram, near Kangayam, featuring genetically pure Kangayam cattle, which came to a close this week, is yet another wake up call for the different stakeholders to reformulate the strategies to save the breed from extinction. This year, nearly 14,700 Kangayam cattle, which include 3,400 cows and remaining bulls/ oxen/ calves, were traded at the fair. “It is a bit disappointing to hear the figures as nearly 1,00,000 cattle used to be traded about 15 years ago at this same event. It shows that the breeding has come down. However, a good sign is that the farmers who brought the cattle got prices as high as Rs. 1.37 lakh for a pair of oxen showing that the breed still has the pot...

In an effort to protect native breeds of cattle, especially the Kangeyam cattle known to be an asset of the Chera dynasty, a mobile application, Konga Madu , was launched in the city on Saturday. Konga Gosalai and Shri Sakthi Institute of Engineering and Technology have come up with this app, aimed at providing the required information to farmers possessing Kangeyam bulls and cows. The app was launched by H. Raja, national secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party, at a function held at the college. According to the organisers, Konga Desam or Chera kingdom has been producing the best breeds of Indian Zebu cattle (bos indicus) and is well documented in Tamil Sangam literature. The recent archaeological excavations at Porunthai and numismatic evidence from Amaravathi river in Karur corroborate the Sangam texts in confirming the cattle propagation during the time of the Chera kingdom. After the advent of exotic breeds such as Jersey to augment milk production, native...

Need to rear more indigenous cattle breeds: Pejawar seer Udupi, Oct 07, 2015, DHNS The Pejawar Mutt Seer Vishwesha Theertha Swami said that people should take a decision to safeguard the livestock treasure of the country, irrespective of their caste, creed and religion. Speaking after inaugurating four-day mega cattle convention, ‘Gau Sammelan,’ at Rajangana, he said the sacred ancient culture of the nation, advocates respect for the cattle. The seer added that people should stop killing the cattle and respect the animals for their sacredness and also for the benefits that humans get from them. He said there was a need to create awareness among the people with regard to the importance of cows. Asserting that farmers and cattle are the backbone of the nation’s progress, the seer said that organic farming, which was extensively practiced prior to 1960s, was indeed beneficial in terms of  value addition to the lives of the ...

http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/in-the-name-of-the-cow/ In the name of the cow In the name of the cow

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/punjab-dairy-farmers-see-no-economic-benefits-in-switching-from-holsteins-to-sahiwal/ Punjab’s dairy farmers seem lukewarm to the idea of rearing indigenous cow breeds such as Sahiwal and Gir, despite the state government launching a subsidy-cum-training scheme encouraging them to start desi cattle units. “An average Holstein Friesian (HF) cow gives 10,000-12,000 litres of milk in a 10-month lactation cycle, whereas the yields from a desi cow are only 3,000-3,600 litres. Also, an HF calf takes just two years to mature and start producing milk, while it is three years for desi breeds,” notes Daljit Singh, who rears over 400 animals at Sardarpura village in Ludhiana’s Jagraon tehsil and is also president of Punjab’s Progressive Dairy Farmers’ Association (PDFA). Balbir Singh, a 50-cow dairy farmer from Udhowal in Nawanshahr district and general secretary of PDFA, believes it is economical to keep desi cattle only if their...

The steep fall in the population of indigenous cattle needs immediate attention of scientists and policy makers. This was said by Dr DK Sadana, retired head of the animal genetic resources division of the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR), who had worked for 20 years on indigenous livestock. At the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) today to take part in the 12th Agricultural Science Congress, he said: “At present, there are only 39 breeds of indigenous cattle, out of which some are at the brink of extinction and need immediate attention to be conserved.” Highlighting the importance of indigenous cattle as compared to the crossbreed, he said the milk of the former was superior to that of the latter besides being locally adapted and contributing to the marginal people’s livelihood. Dr Sadana said the indigenous cattle milk carries A2 protein, which was superior to A1 protein that was found in the milk of crossbreed cattle. “A small compound of A1...

The Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) have started works on construction of a research station for indigenous Bargur breed cattle in the district. Levelling work is in progress on a 50-acre site provided to the University for establishing the Centre at a cost of Rs. 6 crore over a five-year period. The initial instalment of Rs. 1.37 crore has already been provided, Babu, Director of Animal Production Studies, TANUVAS, who would be inspecting the site on Thursday, said. The Centre will focus on propagating population of the indigenous breed on Bargur hills and increasing their milk yield through selective breeding, official sources said. At present, the cows of this breed yield only around two litres of milk a day. Aavin has initiated a milk society to source the milk, which at a later stage could be sold as a premium product, sources said. According to the rearers, there is a niche market for ghee, butter and other products made out o...

THIRUVANANDHAPURAM, India (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Worsening heat, fodder shortages and the threat of drought are forcing many hard-hit dairy farmers in the Anantapur area of India's southern Kerala state to reduce their herds, experts say. "This is nothing less than a catastrophe," said Ananthakrishnan Kannappan, a livestock agent for 30 years in Anantapur. "This is the first time that due to lack of water and fodder, farmers are eagerly competing to sell off their livestock for throwaway prices." But the solution to the problem is simple and small, livestock experts argue: heat-tolerant dwarf cows. A team of researchers from Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University and the state government's Animal Husbandry Department are now promoting a switch to Vechur and Kasargod cattle, two local varieties known for being easy to raise, resistant to diseases and – most important – better at tolerating high temperatures than the more ...

The 1,000-odd years old cattle mela at Kannapuram, near Kangayam, featuring genetically pure Kangayam cattle, which came to a close this week, is yet another wake up call for the different stakeholders to reformulate the strategies to save the breed from extinction. This year, nearly 14,700 Kangayam cattle, which include 3,400 cows and remaining bulls/ oxen/ calves, were traded at the fair. “It is a bit disappointing to hear the figures as nearly 1,00,000 cattle used to be traded about 15 years ago at this same event. It shows that the breeding has come down. However, a good sign is that the farmers who brought the cattle got prices as high as Rs. 1.37 lakh for a pair of oxen showing that the breed still has the potential to fetch premium value,” K.S.M. Karthikeya, managing trustee of Senapathy Kangayam Cattle Research Foundation, which is involved in in-situ breeding of Kangayam cattle for six decades, told The Hindu . According to Mr. Karthikeya, the ban on...

While appreciating the initiatives of Animal Husbandry Department to motivate preservation and propagation of indigenous breeds of cattle, rearers of Bargur variety say they have reason to be sceptic about increasing its headcount. Restrictions imposed by the Forest Department on grazing in forest land in Tamil Nadu have a direct bearing on the fall in numbers. The rearers, who have been taking their herds to Karnataka side of the border, have, of late, been finding the going tough since they are unwelcome there now, as local politicians there have allegedly started making an issue of the herds being brought in from Tamil Nadu, notwithstanding the fact that the cattle-owners belong to Kannada-speaking Lingayat community, according to Madhan, owner of two cows and an ox. “The number of pure Bargur breed cattle on the hills does not exceed 3,000. Unlike decades ago when rearers used to own herds of 50 to 100 cows, the number has fallen to just two or three, due to g...

As usual, the month of April has made the tiny and otherwise calm Kannapuram hamlet near Kangayam sprightly with farmers/breeders of ‘genetically pure’ Kangayam cattle bringing their animals for trade and display at the cattle festival that began on Tuesday. The week-long cattle fair is held traditionally for more than 1,000 years on the sidelines of the temple car festival of the three-century old Arulmigu Mariamman temple situated in the area. According to legend, the cattle fair became a permanent fixture after the visitors who come from far off places to attend the temple car festival started showing interest to buy the animal because they got impressed by the arrival of local people in carts pulled by sturdy Kangayam bulls. Apart from using to pull carts, the urine and dung of Kangayam cattle are used by local people for organic farming. “Based on interests shown by visitors to buy Kangayam cattle, the local farmers/breeders then started the mela on th...

After postponement for nearly a month, the Bargur cattle exhibition, keenly anticipated by rearers on the hills, will take place on April 26. Animal Husbandry Minister T.K.M. Chinnayya will inaugurate the exhibition in the presence of Environment Minister Thoppu N.D. Venkatachalam, senior officials, and the District Collector S. Prabakar, official sources said. Indefinite postponement of the event scheduled earlier on March 29 was announced in view of the national mourning in honour of Singapore's founding father late Lee Kuan Yew. The rearers have been looking forward to the second edition of the event for which the prize-money has been doubled. There has been some progress in the proposal for establishment of Bargur Cattle Research Station on the hills. The announcement was made by Mr. Chinnayya at the time of the maiden exhibition during 2014. The Revenue Department is on the verge of fulfilling the land transfer formalities for handing over 50 acre...

Efforts to conserve the Toda buffalo, a unique breed among the Indian breeds of buffaloes received a boost on Tuesday with a seminar on ‘Protection of Toda Buffaloes’ being organised under the aegis of the Department of Animal Husbandry. Presiding over the seminar The Nilgiris Collector P. Sankar underscored the role of the Toda buffalo in preserving the culture of the ancient community. Pointing out that buffaloes touched practically every aspect of a Toda’s life, he said that it formed part of their religion. Stating that without its buffaloes the Toda community will not be complete, Mr. Sankar regretted that the population of the buffaloes which was about 15,000 to 20,000 at one time has dwindled to less than 2000. Adverting to the factors listed for the steep drop in population like difficulty in getting grass during the dry seasons, lack of steps to prevent diseases and attacks by carnivores, he said that steps should be taken to check them. Awareness abo...

The Pulikulam bulls at an expo held at Muthazhagupatti near Dindigul on Thursday. — PHOTO: G. KARTHIKEYAN Their population has come down from 95,000 in 1995 to 45,000 now Even as the ban on ‘jallikattu’ poses a grave threat to survival of bulls, the State government has initiated steps to protect and promote the Pulikulam breed that provides raging bulls for the rural sport. To propagate other uses of the Pulikulam breed among farmers and encourage bull-rearers to maintain this breed, the Department of Animal Husbandry organised a Pulikulam cattle expo at Muthazhagupatti village on Thursday. “We spend Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 20,000 a year to maintain a ‘jallikattu’ bull,” said P. Murugan of Pillamanaickenpatti. The population of Pulikulam cattle was 95,000 in 1995 and it dwindled sharply later. A recent survey put the population at 45,000. “Ninety nine per cent of Pulikulam cattle is bred and maintained by traditional cowherds. Such a drive is necessary to...