AGB 211: Livestock and Poultry Breeding (2+1)

IMPORTANCE OF CATTLE AND BUFFALO IN INDIA

• India possesses 27 acknowledged indigenous breeds of cattle and seven breeds of buffaloes. Various central and centrally sponsored schemes are being implemented for genetic improvement of cattle and buffalo with a view to enhance the per capita availability of consumption of milk through increased milk production. Efforts are also made to protect and preserve the indigenous cattle and buffalo in their native tract, which are facing threat of extinction. The elite animals are selected and registered on the basis of their performance for production of superior pedigree bulls, bull mothers, frozen semen and frozen embryos for future breeding improvements.
• The National Project for Cattle and Buffalo Breeding envisages 100 per cent grant in aid to implementing agencies. At present 28 , States and one UT are participating in the project. Financial assistance to the tune of Rs. 398.36 crore has been released to these States upto 2007-08. During the financial year 2008-09 , against the RE of Rs. 89.70 crore, an amount of Rs. 87.37 crore has been released.
• A Central Herd Registration Scheme for identification and location of superior germ plasm of cattle and buffaloes, propagation of superior germ stock, regulating the sale and purchase, help in formation of breeder's society and to meet requirements of superior bulls in different parts of the country is also being implemented. The Government of India has established Central Herd Registration Unit in four breeding tracts i.e. Rohtak, Ahmedabad, Ongole, Ajmer. A total of 92 Milk Recording Centres are functioning to register these breeds of cattle viz. Gir, Kankrej, Hariana and Ongole and in Buffalo Jaffrabadi, Mehsani, Murrah and Surti.
• The seven Central cattle breeding farms at Suratgarh (Rajasthan), Chiplima and Semiliguda (Orissa), Dhamrod (Gujarat), Hessarghatta (Karnataka), Alamadi ( Tamil Nadu) and Andeshnagar (Uttar Pradesh) are engaged in scientific breeding programmes of cattle and buffaloes and production of high pedigreed bulls for National Project for Cattle/Buffaio Breeding Programme besides providing training to farmers and breeders. During 2008-09 , these farms produced 346 bull calves and supplied 245 high pedigreed bulls for use under Artificial Insemination Programme in various parts of the Country. 3 , 711 persons were trained in farm management practices and demonstration of scientific breeding. The CCBFS trained 2912 nos. of farmers in during farm management.
• The Central Frozen Semen Production and Training Institute (CFSP&TI) located at Hessarghatta (Bangaluru) is producing frozen semen doses of indigenous, exotic and crossbreed cattle and Murrah buffalo bulls for use in artificial insemination (A 1). The Institute also provides training in semen technology to technical officers of the State Governments and acts as a Centre for testing the indigenously manufactured frozen semen and Al Equipments. The Institute produced 8.66 lakhs doses of frozen semen and provided training to 227 persons in field of frozen semen technology and andrology during the year 2008-09.
• In dairy cattle improvement we should aim for genetic improvement as a priority. In dairy cattle, milk production and reproduction traits are sex-limited and expressed only in cows. But due to higher replacement requirements not much selection is possible among them. In the male, the breeding value for its milk production potential can be estimated only through female relatives such as dam, half sibs and daughters. Due to the requirement of lesser number of bulls (<2 per cent) through artificial insemination (AI), high intensity of selection can be achieved.
• The crossbreds already generated have to be consolidated so that they become fairly homogeneous milk producing genotypes. The deterioration in performance in the second generation crosses can be compensated and productivity enhanced only through selection programs. Therefore, selective breeding using proven Jersey and Holstein Friesian half bred bulls and stabilizing the percentage of exotic inheritance around 50 is the immediate task.