Indian Indigenous Cattle

Swaying rides on the carts pulled by sturdy Kangayam bulls and the pristine flora and fauna of villages under the Kangayam cattle tract, provided an enthralling experience to the 25-member German group of lecturers and students who spent the Sunday in the district. The group members, who pursue their specialised studies in the spheres of sociology and management in the State of Bavaria in the south-east of Germany, came here to learn more about the Kangayam cattle breed and understand how the ‘in situ breeding and conservation’ takes place. “Family-involved cattle farming activities here are fascinating than the factory-based farming as seen in Germany,” observed some of the team members. Another notable aspect that impressed the Germans was the ecological impact of livestock keeping from what they observed at Korangadu, a unique silviculture pasture grazing system comprising around 30 types of shrubs and trees. “Though Korangadu is a species specific grazing ex...

M. Vajaya Ram with his Sahiwal cow at Goshala near Tarakaturu village in Krishna district. Photo: T. Appala Naidu  In 2012, Mr. Ram had brought two Sahiwal cows from Haryana to Tarakaturu on the Vijayawada-Machilipatnam national highway. Despite the Sahiwal cow is a dairy farmer’s friend by yielding eight litres of milk per day, the humble conservator of the cow never runs for the yield. At a time when the National Dairy Development Board aims at increasing the number of pure breed Sahiwal cow population in the country, M. Vijaya Ram, a farmer who owns four Sahiwal cows, began developing pure breed Sahiwal cattle in Krishna district. It is being widely discussed in India that the number of the pure breed Sahiwal cow and bull, a risk-resistant and heat tolerant, has been dwindling in the country over the years. The Sahiwal, a breed of Zebu cattle, known for its high resistance to parasites both internal and external, was originated in the dry Punjab region t...

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Success Story Conservation of Beetal goat -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The project was implemented with objectives of maintenance of Beetal goats in its home tract in pure form, checking further decrease in Beetal population, production of quality and elite breeding stock and improvement of production potential for sustainable utilization at the farmers’ door. Achievements of the Project: The project was implemented in 41 villages in 92 farmers flocks. In the first phase 176 does were selected and registered for recording growth and production parameters. Out of these 100 elite does were finally selected based on growth, milk production and prolificacy. Male kids from these elite goats were registered and 50 bucks were reared at farmers’ door to maturity. Selection criterion for these males was ...

Kept off NBAGR register owing to dwindling population Kachaikatty sheep, the native breed of Madurai district, seen in herds at Kachaikatty villagenear Vadipatti.Photo: S. James The prospects of Katchakatti sheep of Madurai being recognised as an indigenous breed at the national level looks bleak. Owing to its shrinking population, this famous black sheep remains out of the register of indigenous breeds of the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR). Senior NBAGR officials said the chances of the Katchakatti sheep joining the list of registered indigenous breeds in the immediate future were dim because of multiple factors, and this was communicated to those who had applied for recognition. “We are unable to process the application for want of data and documentation. Unless stringent norms prescribed by us are followed, this breed cannot be registered. The dwindling population is one of the reasons for the delay in recognising the sheep,” Arjava ...

Bid to reclaim land for Umbalacherry breed The Hindu Umbalacherry cattle in its home tract at Thalainayar in Nagapattinam. Photo: B. Velankanni Raj TOPICS India Tamil Nadu agriculture livestock farming “When my cows die, I bury them like I would a family member. I can never sell them,” says Balashanmugam, distantly looking at his fenced cattle. For him, the possibility of sold cows changing hands to slaughter houses in Kerala is the biggest fear. Balashanmugam literally waits till the cows come home. The 68-year-old farmer, with a family strength of three, owns over 50 Umbalacherry cattle. And he waits for the cows to return from grazing. Like him, an entire panchayat waits for the cows to come home. Welcome to Umbalacherry panchayat — the home tract of Umbalacherry breed of cattle, here in Thalainayar. Often seen as the pride of Tamil Nadu, the draught cattle is a boon to marshy soils due to its sturdiness and ability to labou...