NEW DELHI, Jan 5: Two new indigenous breeds of livestock species from Meghalaya have been registered by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in the last one year.
It may be mentioned that the ICAR had registered 10 new breeds of livestock species, including cattle, buffalo, goat and pig in the last one year, taking the total number of indigenous breeds to 212 as of January 4, 2023.
The registration, which was done by ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR), involved identification and surveying of these breeds through visits to the native areas.
Two breeds were selected from Meghalaya, viz. Masilum and Wak Chambil.
While Masilum is a small-sized but sturdy cattle reared by the Khasi and Jaintia communities for sports, manure and socio-cultural festivals, the Wak Chambil, on the other hand, is the new pig breed from the Garo Hills to feature in the ICAR’s list.
Other eight breeds of livestock species include two new cattle breeds (Kathani and Sanchori), one buffalo breed (Purnathadi), three goat breeds (Sojat, Karauli and Gujari) and two pig breeds (Banda and Manipuri Black).
While Purnathadi buffalo is found in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, the population of Kathani, a dual-purpose cattle, is also distributed in the region and possesses good draft ability and is suited to marshy land for paddy cultivation.
Sanchori, on the other hand, is found in the Jalore district of Rajasthan.
Among goats, all the three new breeds are from different regions of Rajasthan.
Of the new pig breeds, Manipuri Black is a native of Manipur while Banda is from Jharkhand.
Since 2010, this is the third highest increase in registration of indigenous breeds, after 15 new breeds in 2018-19 and 13 new breeds in 2019-20 were recorded. In 2010, there were only 129 indigenous breeds registered, called ‘extant breeds’.
The identification and registration of indigenous breeds started only after 2010. Those breeds, which are not registered or identified, are called ‘non-descript’.
Former head of genetic animal resources at ICAR-NBAGR DK Sadana has, meanwhile, accentuated the need to identify new breeds.
“There are several breeds in the country which are not yet registered though these have good potential in terms of animal production. Their numbers are reducing and if these are not registered and taken care of, they will go extinct,” Sadana said.
It may be mentioned that indigenous breeds are climate-resilient since they can tolerate more heat, possess better immunity and resist disease.
There, however, is a declining trend in some of the indigenous livestock, especially cattle. In the 20th Livestock Census, while the population of exotic/crossbred cattle increased by 29.3 per cent, compared to the 2012 census, the population of indigenous cattle declined by six per cent.
There is a big untapped potential of the indigenous breeds of cattle as well as buffaloes that also possess key adaptability characteristics to Indian climatic conditions, Sadana said, adding, “Registration helps in breed conservation and promotion activities as state governments get funds, especially for these breeds.”