Conserve indegenous breed, NDRI asks Punjab, Haryana farmers

With most dairy farmers going for cross breed cattle to earn "immediate profit", country's premier dairy institute NDRI wants farmers of Punjab and Haryana to conserve climate resilient indigenous breed of cows whose strength is now "negligible" in bovine population.
Asking the farmers to rear indigenous breed as well, Karnal-based National Dairy Farmers Research Institute (NDRI) also stresses upon bringing improvement in this breed through selective breeding.
The three indigenous dairy breed of Punjab and Haryana are Tharparkar, Sahiwal (both breeds originated in undivided India) and Hariana (found in Haryana's Rohtak, Hisar, Jind).
"We need to conserve and improve our indigenous breeds such as Hariana, Tharparkar and Sahiwal because these breeds are climate and disease resilient," NDRI, Director, A K Srivastava told PTI here.

"Because of changes in environment, there can be an adverse impact on cross bred cows as compared to indigenous breeds which are more climate resilient. Moreover, the feed conversion efficiency is more in indigenous breeds. It means these cows will give milk even if you give poor quality feed," Srivastava said while asking both states to chalk out a plan for conservation of indigenous breed.
The strength of these indigenous breed over the years have come down drastically as dairy farmers went for exotic cow breeds such as Holstein Friesians, Jersey and their cross breeding with exotic germplasm that led to lesser availability of its germplasm.

In Punjab, out of 2.88 million of total bovine population, indigenous cows are just 0.06 million, representing merely 2 per cent.

Similarly, in Haryana, strength of indigenous breed stands at 0.16 million out of 2.51 million bovine population.
Maximum strength is of buffaloes at about 2 million each in both states, as per NDRI.
"Farmers went for exotic breeds in order to earn immediate profit as milk yield in these breeds are higher than indigenous breed," said Srivastava.
On the contrary, in the country as a whole, the strength of indigenous cattle breed is 29.65 million, much more than cross bred.

"We need to bring improvement in indigenous breed through selective breeding within the breed. We should also conserve it by not letting cross breeding with exotic germplasm," he said.
However, he clarified that farmers should continue rearing cross bred cows for higher milk yield.
Interestingly, share of indigenous cattle, cross bred and buffaloes in Punjab's 9.71 million tonne of milk output is 4 per cent, 26 per cent and 69 per cent respectively.
In Haryana, contribution of indigenous cattle, cross bred or exotic and buffaloes in state's 7.04 million tonne of milk output is 6 per cent, 9 per cent and 84 per cent respectively.

NDRI also emphasized on promoting milk of indigenous breed in order to create a separate market for the same.