1. science
2. biology
3. breeding

BUFFALO–PRIDE OF INDIA, HOPE FOR DAIRY INDUSTRY FUTURE
Buffalo–Pride Of India,
Hope For Dairy Industry Future
Dr. Ashok Singh
(Professor and Head)
Department of Animal Breeding & Genetics
College of Veterinary Science & A.H., Mhow (M.P.)-453 446
Buffaloes in India have a place of pride in all respe cts:
production, productivity, population in the world,
dive rsity/ breeds, se rvice to the unde rprivilege d,
clean draft powe r, sure -footed transport, rich
food/nutrition, support to a host of industries and
live lihoods.
The buffalo (Bubalus bublis) are originated from the
wild buffalo (Bubalus arnee ). The buffaloes are
classifie d in to distinct classes: 1. Swamp buffalo,
2. River buffalo.
1. Swamp buffalo: The swamp buffalo is most
common in Southeast Asia are draught animals.
Swamp name drived from the natural habitate which
swamp or marshland. Swamp buffaloes resembles
the
wild
buffaloes
arni
in
morphological
characte ristics. The hybrid of swamp and rive r
buffaloe s are powe rful work animals produce good
quality of meat and more milk the indige nous
buffaloe s. The swamp buffalo have a gray sk in at
birth but be come state blue late r .Albinoids are
pre sent in some population. Swamp buffaloes are
heavy bodie s and stockly built, the body is short and
be lly is large.
2. River buffalo: The rive r buffalo is the most
common type in Asian subcontinent. The rive r
buffaloe s are massive in size mostly with curled
horns, pre fe rs to wallow in clean wate r and rive rs
the re by rive r buffalo. The rive r buffaloes have been
se le cted for m ilk production. The wate r buffalo we re
domesticated in India some 5000 years ago. The
wate r buffalo m ilk is riche r in fat and prote in than
the dairy cow.
The Wate r Buffalo definite ly ge ts attention due to its
size . The y can be up to 6 fee t tall. The y can also
we igh up to 2,650 pounds. The ir ove rall size will vary
though depending on location. The males are about
25% large r than the females.
The Water Buffalo has bee n a valuable asse t to
socie ty for m illions of years. It is be lie ved that ve ry
early humans used them for food, the ir fur for
shelte r, and parts from their bodies for making tools.
The Indian cultures are ve ry respe ctful of this animal
for all it has contributed to them .
Horns that curve back wards are the most re cognized
sign of the Wate r Buffalo. Howe ve r, many people
think only the males have them but the females do
as we ll. The horns of the male though are large r than
those of the female. The ir coat is a dark gray or
black color and it features hair that is ve ry course.
The y are ve ry large animals that are able to move
we ll.
Asia was the original home of the Wate r Buffalo but it
is also doing we ll in Australia whe re humans
introduced it. The y live in the warm regions that offe r
plenty of wate r and m ud for them. The y do we ll in
both tropical and subtropical regions as we ll. Due to
loss of habitat the y are mainly found on rese rves
today instead of just out the re in the wild.
The Wate r Buffalo lives in South Ame rica, southe rn
Europe and northe rn Africa.
The y live in large groups calle d he rds. The males tend
to venture off from this group when the y a re mature.
The majority of the he rd consists of the females and
the ir young offspring. The y are heard communicating
with e ach othe r using low grunts and calls. The re
seems to be a hie rarchy among the he rds with a
dom inant female that will de cide whe n the he rd
moves.
Wate r Buffalo spend a great deal of time look ing for
mud that the y can roll around in and cool off. The y
have hooves that are de signed to pre vent them from
slipping and sliding in the mud. This e nsures that
the y can still make a fast ge taway if the y are in
dange r.
The y are he rbivores, consuming a varie ty of grasses
and plants as the y graze . The y will also consume
various types of plants that grow in the shallow areas
of the wate r. The y don’t stay and eat in one place for
long. The movement of the he rd he lps to ensure that
the land will be able to grow ne w grass and othe r
e lements again.
The rainy season is when mating will occur for the
Wate r Buffalo as the re is more food. The males will
come around the he rds of mature female s. The males
can be ve ry aggre ssive with each othe r in orde r to
earn the right mate with a give n female . Afte r mating
the male will go in search of anothe r female that he
can also mate with. The female will give birth to
37
Dairy Year Book (2014-15)
BUFFALO–PRIDE OF INDIA, HOPE FOR DAIRY INDUSTRY FUTURE
about 9 to 11 months late r. The re is usually only 1
born, but occasionally twins.
The young female s will spend the ir entire life with
the ir he rd. The males though will leave the he rd
whe n the y are about 3 years of age . The ave rage
lifespan in the wild for the Wate r Buffalo is 25 years.
The numbe r of Wate r buffalo continue to dwindle due
to loss of habitat. Today they are doing we ll on
various conse rvation areas whe re the ir needs can be
me t. Still, the numbe rs of them are low. Since the
females only give birth e ve ry othe r year and the y
won’t mate unde r stress ge tting the population to
increase can prove to be ve ry difficult.
The buffaloes are the large st source of m ilk supply in
the world. Buffalo m ilking a good food contribution
that the actual volume of buffalo milk.
The buffalo have been used as drought animals.
Buffaloes are major source of meat, the y have not be
used sole ly for meat production. Buffalo meat from
animals prope rly reare d and fed is tende r and
palatable . The buffalo are lean animals.
The wate r buffalo are widely use d to plough, leve l
land, plant crips
Buffalo Breeds Management
Infe rtility in buffaloes is mainly contributed by
ane strus; repeat breeding, infe ctious diseases of
reproductive system and post-parturient disorde rs
which indire ctly leads to infe rtility. The causes
contributing to infe rtility are nutritional, hormonal,
management and infe ctions. Poor feeding is an
im portant factor contributing to the infe rtility in
buffaloe s. Nutritional deficiency in micro and
macronutrient causes impairment in the production,
se cre tion and action of various hormones as we ll as
growth factors. Stress during summe r season is
anothe r factor causing summe r anestrum as well as
increased
repeat
bree ding
conditions
in
buffaloe s. The wate r buffalo ge ne rally is a healthy
animal. This is particularly impressive be cause most
of them live in hot, humid regions that are conducive
to diseases.
The major cause of losses in buffaloes is due to calf
mortality. Ne wborn buffalo calves, like bovine calves,
succumb in large numbe rs to viruses, bacte ria and
poor nutrition. This is large ly due to poor
management during the calf’s first 2 months of life,
e .g. depriving calves of mothe r’s milk and proclivity
for wallowing which exposes calve s to wate rborne
disease s. Furthe r, a young one occasionally drowns
whe n an adult rolls on the top of it.
Mastitis is one of the se rious diseases of the buffalo,
espe cially in countries whe re buffaloes are mainly
kept for milk production.
Various biote chnologies available at present for
enhancing buffalo reproduction include artificial
insem ination, multiple ovulation embryo transfe r, in
vitro
maturation,
in
vitro
fe rtilization,
cryoprese rvation of oocytes and embryos, production
of calves of prede te rm ined sex and cloning. The
38
te chnologies of future include somatic ce ll cloning,
stem ce lls and the ir applications, gene tic analysis
and gene transfe r. Gene tic improvement methods
that are be ing te sted include ope n nucleus breeding
system with embryo transfe r in rive rine buffaloes and
cross breeding for swam p buffaloes. O NBS te chnique
enables the production of more than one offspring of
the desired type of fam ily e.g. full and half sibs for
e valuation of males or females. se le ction in this
scheme is on the basis of full and half sibs rathe r
than on the progeny or pe digree.
Buffalo be ing an animal we ll adopted to tempe rate
environment, has spe cial housing needs. In buffalo
housing should be we ll ve ntilated, prote cted from
cold and hot weathe r and with ample supply of fresh
and clean drink ing wate r. This se ction deals in de tail
with buffalo housing for optimum production.
In vie w of the work ing capacity of buffalo, the y have
been re fe rre d as the “Living tractor of the east”. In
all the rice growing countrie s of South East Asia,
buffalo is used for ploughing mud fie lds. The large
hoove s, flexible foot joints, slow and de libe rate is
the ideal animal to work in deep mud of rice fields.
De velopment of buffalo as a triple purpose animal
(dairy, meat and draught) has been advocated not
withsta nding the facts that such e fforts in cattle in
India have failed in the past.
Feed utilization: In addition of the advantage to
buffalo of having large size muzzle and high mobility
of tongue e nable he r a high rate of intake of forage
and crop residue Furthe r, greate r we ight of rumen
in buffalo is also harbours more microbial population
to grow indicating be tte r conve rsion of forage.
Rumen asidosis is se ldom obse rved in buffalo due to
high rate of saliva se cre tion. Thus maintaining
rume n pH.
Feeding habits of buffalo and cattle diffe r from each
othe r, thus buffalo can consume poor quality pasture
or feed. The supe riority of buffalo ove r cattle in
digestibility and e fficiency of utilization of feed
nutrients is manifeste d only when the n two spe cies
are fed only low plane of nutrition with course
roughage s as the main source of ene rgy.
The data on ave rage we ight gain, feed e fficiency and
digestibility of various nutrients of the ration in
growing calve s and he ife rs of both spe cies have
re vealed that buffalo calves gained more , required
less amount of feed pe r unit gain in weight and
digeste d greate r amounts of dry matte r and nitrogen
free ex tract (NFE) of the ration than cow calves
unde r restricted feeding system. Almost similar was
the condition of the heife rs belonging to two spe cies
in ad-libitum feeding system, indicating the reby
buffalo e ife rs, whe re on re stricted feeding or adlibitum feeding system proved be tte r conve rte d of
the ir feed than cow he ife rs. The data on the ave rage
digestibility coe fficient of various nutrie nts, m ilk
yield and m ilk composition in lactating buffalo and
cow from the same ex pe riment indicated supe riority
of buffalo ove r cows.
Buffalo milk is totally natural product that can be
Dairy Year Book (2014-15)
BUFFALO–PRIDE OF INDIA, HOPE FOR DAIRY INDUSTRY FUTURE
consumed like any othe r m ilk. Buffalo m ilk is ve ry
white and beautifully smooth. It is significantly lowe r
in choleste rol and highe r in calcium than cow’s,
sheep’s and goat’s milk . Buffalo m ilk contain 58%
more calcium, 40% more protein and 43% less
chole ste rol than cow’s . Buffalo milk is also rich
source of iron, phosphorus,vitamin A and off course
protein. Buffalo milk contains high le ve ls of the
natural antiox idant tocophe rol. Perox idate activity is
normally 2-4 times that of cow’s m ilk . Buffalo milk is
suitable for many suffe ring from cows milk alle rgic
(CMA). The high milk solids of buffalo m ilk is ideal
for processing in to supe rb dairy products and
contributes to significant e ne rgy savings. Buffalo
mozzarella –smooth tex ture and richness is simply
the best.
Calf Management And Calf Mortality In
Buffaloes
In the commercial dairies the calves are highly
ne gle cte d due to the notion of false e conomy
pre vailing among the se owne rs that rearing of calf is
not be neficial. In fact majority of these dairy owne rs
purchase
m ilch
cattle
and
buffaloe s
with
characte ristics of good milch breeds ( Murrah and
Nili Ravi buffaloes and Holste in Friesian and Je rse y
bree ds of cattle) which have a high production
pote ntial. It is well prove n fact that the offspring of
these animals will also have the sim ilar traits as its
pare nt and the refore the calve s in these dairies if
reare d will be come ve ry pre cious m ilch animals. But
the dairy owne rs fee l that the rearing of calve s is
much more costly and will yield re turns afte r a
minimum of 3-4 years and the re fore the y prefe r to
purcha se ne w m ilch animals to maintain the ir he rd
stre ngth and milk production throughout the year.
But the negle ct and poor care of calve s in these
dairies is creating a great damage to the nation in
te rms of loss of good quality ge rm plasm. Also the
future of dairy industry will be affe cte d if the calf
care practices in these dairy farm s are not improved
.The re fore the re is an urgent need to educate the
comme rcial dairy owne rs about the im portance of
rearing calves in te rms of e conom ic profitability .In
fact a mass campaign needs to be taken up to
im prove the calf care practices in these dairies
through making
the
dairy
owne rs analyse
themse lves about the cost bene fit ratio of rearing
calves. Furthe r the y also need to be taught about
the fattening of male buffalo calves which can be
sold to the butche rs for their meat value .
Survival of neonatal calve s is impe rative for livestock
propagation; howe ve r, a large numbe r of calves die
during the first year of the ir life causing heavy drain
on the e conomics of livestock production. Mortality of
neonatal calves was attributed to conditions like
diarrhea and pneumonia. Howe ve r, environmental
and managemental factors hasten the occurre nce of
such conditions. Calf mortality was associated with
the type of housing, feeding, managemental
practices, we athe r conditions, ex te rnal and inte rnal
parasitic infe station and bacte rial infe ctions espe cially
those causing septicaemia and ente ritis .
Breeds And Their Description
(i) Definfed Breeds Of Buffalo
1. Murrah: The home tract of this breed is mainly in
Punjab and De lhi. The bree d tract is Rohtak ,Hisar
and Jind of Haryana. The breed characte ristics are
massive body, ne ck and head comparative ly long,
horns short and tightly curled, Ud de r we ll deve lope d,
hip broad and fore – and hindquarte rs drooping. The
ave rage m ilk production pe r lactation is 1,500to
2,500 kg. On an ave rage the daily milk yie ld is found
to be 8-10 lite r, whe reas a cross bree d murrah
buffalo gives 6-8 lite r pe r day.The age at first calving
is 45-50 months in villages but in good he rds it is 3640 months.
The inte r-calving pe riod is 450-500 days. It pe rforms
we ll in coastal and slightly cold climatic areas.
2. Surti: The home tract of this breed is mainly in
Gujarat. The Native tracts of this breed is Kaira and
Baroda districts of Gujarat. The body is we ll shaped
and medium sized. The barre l is we dge shape d. The
head is long with prom inent e ye s. The horns are
sick le shape d, mode rate ly long and flat. The colour is
black o r brown the pe culiarity of breed is two white
collars one round the jaw and the othe r at the
briske t. The ave rage m ilk
yie ld is around
1700k gs.The age at first calving is 40 to 50 months
with an inte r calving pe riod of 400 – 500 days. The
bullocks are good for light work .
3. Jaffrabadi: The home tract of this breed is mainly
in Kathiawar district of Gujarat.
The Jafarabadi
buffalo is black in colour and has a massive and longbarrele d conformation. Horns are long, heavy and
broad, and some times the y cove r the e yes. He ight at
withe rs of adult male is 142 cm (56 in), body we ight
ranges from 600–1,500 kg (1,300–3,300 lb). He ight
at withe rs of adult female is 140 cm (55 in), body
we ight is 550 kg (1,200 lb). Some individuals may
we igh as much as 700–800 kg (1,500-1,800 lb).
Some animals are gre y and have white spots on
forehand, fee t and tail switch. The horns are inclined
to droop on each side of the ne ck and then turn up at
the tips. Horns make s e yes to look small, te rme d as
sturdy e ye, and espe cially in males, sometimes it
leads to blindness. Tail Medium in size . Head is big
and massive. Forehead is prom inent be ing convex in
86.42% adult animal .The bone of fore head is wide
and cove rs the eye s partially to give characte ristic
“Sleepy Eyes” appearance , espe cially in adult males.
Ne ck is broad and thick . Ears are long and horizontal.
Udde r is we ll de veloped. Pendulous and round udde rs
are found in almost equal proportions. Fore quarte r is
slightly large r than the hindquarte r. Teats are mostly
funnel shaped and have pointed tips. Milk vein is
medium in size. Jafarabadi b uffaloes are traditionally
manage d unde r domestic conditions togethe r with
the calf and hand-m ilked twice a day. The y are fed
diffe re nt k inds of roughages such as barle y and
39
Dairy Year Book (2014-15)
BUFFALO–PRIDE OF INDIA, HOPE FOR DAIRY INDUSTRY FUTURE
wheat straw, cornstalks and sugar cane re siduals. In
addition, the y are given concentrate mix tures. If
grazing is available, the y graze all day long. They are
naturally mated. Calving inte rval is 509.8±20.1 days.
Cows lactate during 350 days with an ave rage m ilk
yield of 1,800–2,700 kg (4,000–6,000 lb) in this
pe riod. The milk contains 8.5% m ilk fat.
4. Nili-Ravi: The Nili-Ravi buffalo is a milk type of
buffalo breed. The y are found mainly in Lahore,
She ikhupura, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Multan and
Bahawal Nagar districts in Punjab Province. The ir
color is black and their ave rage we ight at maturity is
800 kg for the male and 525 kg for the female . The y
have a we dge shape , massive frame, small curly
horns, and wall e yes. The y often have white
mark ings on the forehead, face , muzzle and le gs and
white switch of tail (buffaloe s with such mark ings
highly desire d and popularly called "Panj Kalian").
The y have a large , strong udde r and are ge ne rally
docile . Ave rage age at maturity is 30 months in
male s and 36 months in female s. Longe vity of
production is good. White mark ings ex tending above
hock and knee and ove r the ne ck and body,
constitute a se rious disqualification.
5. Bhadawari: This breed is found in Bhadawar
Tehsil in Agra district and Etawah district of Uttar
Pradesh state and Gwalior district of Madhya Pradesh
state . The body is of medium size and of wedge
shape. The head is comparative ly small, the le gs are
short and stout, the hooves are black, and the
hindquarte rs are uniform and highe r than the
forequarte rs. The tail is long, thin and flexible with
black and white or pure white mark ings reaching up
to fetlock .
The body is usually light or coppe r
coloured which is pe culiar` to this bree d. The ears
are scanty. The ave rage m ilk production is 800 to
1,000 kg. The bullock s are reputed as good draft
animals with heat tole rance .
Bhadawari buffaloes are re cognized for high fat
content in their milk , which goe s as high as 14 %.
first describe d this breed as “Bhadawan” buffalo –the
best breed of buffaloes in Uttar Prade sh found in the
districts of Agra and Etah (Central Ind ia). Howe ve r,
the popularity of this breed was known to the.
Bhadawari Buffaloes are found in the ravines of
Yamuna and Chambal rive rs spread ove r in the
states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The
Bhadawari bree ding tract was a part of the e rstwhile
Bhadawar estate from whe re the name of these
animals originated. The Bhadawari buffaloe s have
adapte d to the harsh conditions of the ravines with
undulating topography, thorny and scanty bushes,
climatic stress and draught conditions. The y are said
to be resistant to many tropical bovine diseases. The
buffaloe s are of medium size with medium to low
milk yie ld but the fat content as high as 13 %
Be cause of its small size these animals can be reared
e ven by marginal and landless farme rs. The male
animals of this bree d are conside red to be one
among the best for ploughing the marshy paddy
fie lds and the mortality rate in the calves is quite low
as compared to othe r breeds.
The animals can easily tole rate the ex treme we athe r
conditions
in
the
ravines
whe re
maximum
tempe rature goes up to 48oC. Unlike Murrah
buffaloe s the y do not demand freque nt bath and
wallowing, but enjoy it if given a chance . Bhadawari
are re ported to be a regular breede r giving a calf pe r
year in the fie ld condition. The y have comparatively
low milk yield but the m ilk tastes swee t with high fat
and a flavor that is unmatched. Due to high butte r
fat conte nt the m ilk of this breed is highly suited for
ghee making, which is the common village industry.
6. Mehsana: The re are seve ral buffalo breeds, which
are reared for m ilk and meat, Me hsana buffaloes are
mainly reare d for their m ilk .The ir milk has a fat
content of about 6.5 to 7 pe r cent and they can yie ld
7-9 litres of milk in a day.With good management
practices the m ilk yie ld can go up to e ven 10-15
litres according to researche rs at the Livestock
Research Station (LR S), S. D. Agricultural Unive rsity,
Sardark rushinagar, Gujarat. The breed is mainly
distributed in Me hsana, Banaskantha, Sabarkantha
and Patan districts of North Gujarat. The animals are
usually black or fawn gre y in colour, some times with
white markings on the face, legs and tip of the
tail.The horns are short and curved. The breed is
reputed for regularity in bree ding and pe rsistent m ilk
production. Adult male buffaloes we igh 530-600 kg
and females 425-475 k g. Unlike othe r breeds,
Me hsana buffaloes re quire minimal care and
attention. The y can be reared in we ll-ve ntilated
sheds as we ll as unde r tree shade in the open.The
animals can be fed green grass when available , and
also with dry fodde r such as wheat straw bajra,
jowar and cotton seed cake . Female buffaloes come
to heat in 20-21 days. The ge station pe riod lasts for
about 310 days.
7. Toda: The Toda buffalo is a unique breed and a
ge netically isolated population, confined to the Nilgiri
hills of Tamilnadu. These buffaloes are reared mainly
by the Toda tribes who are among the most
aboriginal inhabitants of this country. Toda buffaloes
are ash gre y colored. Color of the calf is ge ne rally
fawn at birth which varies from gre y, light g re y and
dark gre y. In growing calves, at about 2 -3 months,
the fawn color changes to ash grey. The horns are
quite large , se t wide apart, outward, upward to form
a characte ristics semicircle . The C rescent-shaped
horns with sharp tip and two che vron mark ings in the
ne ck re gion are the distinguishable feature s of Toda
buffaloe s. Tail is long and slim ex tending be yond
hock joint and the switch is gene rally black . Toda
buffaloe s are medium in size and is conside re d to be
quite powe rful. Body is fairly long with a broad and
deep chest, the ave rage daily m ilk yie ld in Toda
buffaloe s was reported to be 2.53 ± 0.06 kg . Toda
buffaloe s are known for high m ilk fat content of 8.27
pe r cent with the range of 4.8 to 14 pe r cent.
8. Nagpuri: The Nagpuri buffalo is a ve rsatile breed
of the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra State and
stands bette r amongst the breeds of buffaloes which
combine the m ilk and drought qualitie s in a be tte r
proportion in adve rse climatic conditions. The
animals of this breed are ve ry we ll adapted to the
40
Dairy Year Book (2014-15)
BUFFALO–PRIDE OF INDIA, HOPE FOR DAIRY INDUSTRY FUTURE
harsh-semi-arid conditions of Vidarbha region and
can withstand ex treme climatic conditions as high as
47º C e ven in respe ct of m ilk production and fe rtility.
Body colour is Black (82.05%), Bhura/Brown
(17.5%) with White patche s on face , legs and tail.
Horns are Long flat, wide and thick at the base
carrie d back wards in each side of the ne ck nearly up
to the shoulde rs resembling like a pair of swords.
Length (cm) Male : 54-55 and Female: 61-62. W hite
patches on face , legs and tail. Short tail with white
patches Length (cm ) Male: 54 -55 and Female: 5152. Medium sized animals. Body Weight (kg) Male:
400 and Female : 375. Long and thin, cone shaped
face with straight nasal bone . De pending upon the
degree of white patches on the forehead and nasal
portion these animals are locally called as “ArdhChandri, Chandri, Gal-Bhondi and Kapal-Bhondi”.
Face is long and thin, cone shape d with straight nasal
bone. Long with compact and cylindrical barrel. Ears
are medium in size with pointed tips. Limbs are long
and light. The ave rage lactation yie ld of 1038.49 ±
39.56 kg in Nagpuri buffaloes reared unde r village
conditions of Vidarbha. Majority of the farme rs from
the bree ding tract of Nagpuri buffalo tie the ir animals
during night only and open houses are provided to
most of them. About (63%) the farme rs have
separate houses for the animals and majority of
animal houses (86%) are Kachha only.
9. Pandharpuri: The name Pandharpuri is from the
town Pandharpur in Solapur district which is the
home range of these buffalo. The y are found in
Solapur, Kolhapur and Sangli districts of Maharashtra
state of India . Most of the region is highly draught
prone , but some parts of the Sangli and Kolhapur
districts do have good irrigation facilities. The breed
can be easily ide ntified by its long, sword shape d,
some times twiste d horns, which measure from 45 -50
cm upto 1-1.5 m of le ngth. The majority of the breed
are black with white mark ings found on the forehead,
legs and switch of tail. The Pandharpuri are medium
sized with ave rage body we ight of 450 -470 kg. The
long horns usually turned upwards or late ral. The
udde r is compact, trough shaped with cylindrical
teats. The head is long, narrow with prominent nasal
bone and the horizontal ears. The breed is famous
for its high reproductive ability, producing a calf
e ve ry 12 months. Unde r ave rage management
conditions and hot -dry climate these buffaloes yie ld
6-7 lite rs of m ilk pe r day; howe ve r unde r good
management the y are reported to yie ld up to 15 lit of
milk pe r day.
10. Marathwadi: Marathwadi buffaloes constitute a
major se ction of buffalo breeds of Marathwada region
of the State of Maharashtra. A sizable buffalo
population in Parbhani, Jalna, Beed, Osmanabad,
Latur, Nanded and some parts of Buldhana and Akola
districts of Vidarbha contribute significantly to the
farme rs e conom y. It has not been re cognized as a
distinct breed and is conside red as a local buffalo
(Gavaran) in its home tract. In th is pape r, an
attempt has been made to k now and establish the
legal
standards
for
some
physico-chemical
paramete rs of Marathwadi buffalo m ilk. The
comparison is also done be tween Marathwadi buffalo
milk with the m ilk of othe r im proved breeds in
respe ct of these paramete rs. Marathwadi breed
represents the ve ry ancient indigenous type
characte rized with large r built and long flat horns.
The se buffaloes are found in Marathwada region of
Central India espe cially in Parbhani, Nanded, Beed,
Hingoli and Latur districts of Maharashtra state.
Marathwadi buffaloes are reared in low ex te rnal input
system mainly due to their low maintenance cost,
fee d conve rsion efficie ncy, mode rate production and
ability to thrive in harsh climate conditions. This
bree d is not confined to any community in the region
but is primarily maintained by small marginal
farme rs and landless labore rs mostly for the ir
mode rate m ilk production which varies from 4 to 8
kg/day. Bree ding of the se animals is mostly
unorganized and is e ithe r by natural se rvice with
available bulls or by grading up with Murrah semen.
Prom inent coat colour black (97.70%), je t black
(2.10%). Fore head is broad and ne ck is short. Hors
are m ostly round, comparative ly short, slightly
curved straight way going paralle l to ne ck and not
ex tende d beyond hump. Body size is medium built
and re present ancie nt indigenous type . Body We ight
(k g): 320-400. Performance of Marathwadi buffaloes
has been reporte d to vary from diffe re nt reports. The
ave rage lactation yie ld of 952.26 ± 23.73 kg unde r
fie ld condition. An ave rage ove rall lactation yie ld of
118.4 kg (N=1654) for a lactation le ngth of 317.90
days from the breeding tract of Marathawadi
buffaloe s. Highest peak m ilk yie ld (7.14 ± 0.25 kg)
in Nagpuri and lowest daily milk yield of 3.52 kg was
re corded in Marathwadi buffaloe s.
(ii) Other Than Defined Breeds Of
Buffalo
1. Sambalpuri: These buffaloes are found in
Sambalpur and Baragarh district in O rissa and
Bilaspur district in C hhatishgarh. Animals are large in
size and powe rful but docile . Forehead is broad and
flat. Horns are short, narrow and curved into a semi
circle , ex tending back wards, upward and then
forward at the tip. Tail is long and narrow with white
switch. Body and coat colour is black , rare ly brown or
ash gre y. Buffaloes are re gular bree de r and
comparative ly more productive breed of the re gion.
Some ex ceptional buffaloes may yield as high as
2300-2700 k g. in about 340 days lactation . Besides
the above buffalo populations, some othe r types such
as Paradeep buffaloe s are reported to exist in O rissa.
2. Kalahandi / Peddakimedi: This breed is k nown
as Kalahandi in O rissa and Peddakimedi in Andhra
Pradesh. These buffaloes are seen in whole Gajapati
district and a part of Ganjam and Rayagada district in
O rissa, be sides adjoining hilly regions of Andhra
Pradesh. Reaction zone of Paralakhemundi buffaloes
is quite distinct with strange rs. Coat colour of these
animals ranges from black to black ish gre y. These
buffaloe s have flat fore heads with golden hairs on it.
Quite a fe w animals are characte rized with unique
whitish marks as ne cklace in the ne ck re gion.
Besides the use of this buffalo for m ilk and draft
41
Dairy Year Book (2014-15)
BUFFALO–PRIDE OF INDIA, HOPE FOR DAIRY INDUSTRY FUTURE
purpose , the horns are used in making handicrafts
and house hold items, which adds to the e conomic
utility of these buffaloes in the na tive tract. Females
drop the ir first calf at about 4 years of age with life
time calvings of 7 to 8 times with an ave rage calving
inte rval of 18 months. Paralakhemundi buffaloe s are
mode rate m ilk yielde rs having ave rage daily m ilk
yield of 2.6 lt. and ave rage lactation yie ld of 737 lt.
in 285 lactation days. These buffaloes are k nown for
the ir work ing ability and disease resistance in the
native tract Age at pube rty (days) 1152.66±8.22,
Age at first calving (days) 1512.23±6.83,
Se rvice
pe riod (days) 224.15±2.22, Calving inte rval (days)
532.05±2.34, Gestation pe riod (days)308.76±1.12,
Life time no. of calvings 7-8. Daily Milk Yield (lt.)
2.46±0.05, 2.92±0.06, Lactation Length (days)
276.44±2.66, 281.61±2.63. Lactation Yie ld (lt)
680.04-823.16, Fat% 7.86±0.01-8.07±0.01, SNF%
8.64±0.01- 8.65±0.01.
3 Paralakhemundi: These buffaloe s are seen in
whole Gajapati district and a part of Ganjam and
Rayagada district in O rissa, beside s adjoining hilly
regions of Andhra Pradesh. A reaction zone of
Paralakhemundi buffalo is quite distinct with
strange rs. Coat colour of these animals ranges from
black to black ish gre y. The se buffaloes have flat
foreheads with golde n hairs on it. Quite a fe w
animals are characte rized with unique whitish marks
as ne ck lace in the ne ck region. Besides the use of
this buffalo for m ilk and draft purpose, the horns are
used in mak ing handicrafts and house hold items,
which adds to the e conomic utility of these buffaloes
in the native tract. Females drop the ir first calf at
about 4 years of age with life time calvings of 7 to 8
time s with an ave rage calving inte rval of 18 months.
Paralakhemundi buffaloes are mode rate m ilk yie lde rs
having ave rage daily milk yie ld of 2.6 lt. and ave rage
lactation yie ld of 737 lt. in 285 lactation days. These
buffaloe s a re k nown for the ir working ability and
disease re sistance in the native tract. Daily Milk Yie ld
(lt.)
2.35±0.05,
Lactation
Length
(days)
288.22±1.23, Lactation Yie ld (lt) 285.33±1.21, Fat%
8.11±0.01, SNF% 8.56±0.01.
4. Manda/Ganjam: These buffaloe s are found in
whole Koraput district and adjoining parts of
Malkangiri and Nawarangpur district in O rissa. Body
colour of these buffaloes is ash gre y and gre y with
coppe r coloured hairs. Some animals are silve r white
in colour. The lowe r part of the legs up to e lbow is
light colour with tuft of yellowish/coppe r coloured
hairs at knee and fe tlock. Horns are broad and
eme rge slightly late rally, ex tending back ward and
inward mak ing half circles. Jaws and nostrils are wide
and prom inent. Manda buffalo comes to heat at
around 40 months and drops its first calf at around
51 months of age. Ave rage calving inte rval of these
buffaloe s is 18 months with gestation pe riod of 307
days. These buffaloes are mode rate m ilk yie lde rs
having lactation m ilk yield of around 700 lt. in a
lactation length of 290 days. These animals are
famous for longe vity, hard work and length of
work ing life . Female Manda buffaloes at some places
are used in agricultural ope rations along with buffalo.
Age at pube rty (days) 1162.44±3.32, Age at pube rty
(da ys) 1162.44±3.32. Age at first calving (days)
1534.43±3.76, Se rvice pe riod (days) 257.22±1.12,
Calving inte rval (days) 557.78±2.54, Gestation
pe riod (days) 307.56±0.13, Life time no. of calvings
-7-8, Lactation yield 650 Kg, Lactation pe riod 286
days and Dry pe riod 272 days.
5. Chilika: The Chilika buffaloes are endowe d with
the unique quality of ente ring dee p into the salty
wate r of the lake , feeding on the vege tation that
grows the re , drink ing the salty wate r and remaining
in the lake for se ve ral days toge the r. These animals
withstand the marshy environment ve ry we ll and are
raised in the open unde r hot sun and heavy rains
throughout the year with no medication. Chilika
buffaloe s clean the coastline and inside of the lake by
eating the unruly vege tation and hence he lp to
maintain the balance in the e cosystem . These
animals conve rt the coarse grasse s of the lake into a
highly nutritious milk product and se rve as a good
source of income to the rural mass with almost ze ro
investment. This biodive rsity in buffalo ge rm plasm
and its unique ness should be prese rved, maintained
and improved for the be nefit of the people . Se le ctive
bree ding through exploitation of the ge ne tic variation
ex isting in the population may be practised for
im provement of Chilika buffaloes in O rissa.
People in the villages situated on the bank of the
famous salt lake C hilika in O rissa rear buffaloes with
almost ze ro input. These animals, endowe d with the
spe cial quality of ente ring deep into the lake and
fee ding on the vege tation that grows the re , he lp to
maintain the natural e cosystem and provide good
earnings for the rural people. This biodive rsity in
buffalo ge rmplasm needs to be pre se rved. The mean
body length, girth, he ight at withe rs and we ight we re
122.3±0.2 cm , 169.7±0.3 cm, 123.9±2.7 cm and
320.0±0.7 kg, respe ctive ly. The mean age at first
calving was 1 331.4±6.8 days. The ave rage of the
first two calving inte rvals was 431.7±3.6 days. The
ave rage daily m ilk yield of the first three lactations
and lactation length was 2.6±0.01 kg and 238.7±2.1
days, respe ctive ly. Most of the e conomic traits had
high he ritability. The tempe rature of the habitat
ranges approximate ly be tween 15°C in winte r to
40°C in summer.
6. Banni: Banni Buffalo bree d was re cognized as
th
11 buffalo breed of India by Breed Registration
Committee , IC AR, Ne w De lhi. The breed is originated
from the Banni area of kachchh, which is a part of
Kachchh district of Gujarat. It is located about
69 0 24’ E 23 0 42’N ax is. Purebred animals pre valent
in Bhuj, Nakhatrana, Anjar, Bhaahau, Lakhpat, Rapar
and Khavda talukas, are heavily size with typical
double and ve rtical coiling of the horn.The total area
of Banni grassland is about 3847 sq. km. The
inhe rently saline soil, deposited by long lost rive r
systems, is naturally suite d for nutritious grasses.
The re are more than 20 spe cies of grasses and 20
spe cie s of shrubs found in the Banni pasture land.
The rain wate r harvesting system in the region is
known as “Khuira”, which is unique system of
42
Dairy Year Book (2014-15)
BUFFALO–PRIDE OF INDIA, HOPE FOR DAIRY INDUSTRY FUTURE
harve sting and conse rvation of wate r in the re gion.
The body coat colour is black (90.09%) and coppe r
(9.90%), whe reas m uzzle and e yelids are e ithe r
black or brown. Horns orientation is ve rtical, inve rted
double coiling in 31.20% and ve rtical, inve rted single
coiling in 68.80% animals. Eyes are prominent black
and bright. The colour patte rn of the switch of tail
comprise s (67.35%) white and (32.65%) black and
length of the tail is 88.39+-0.48cm. Medium to large,
compact and ge ne rally cove red with hairs.De wlap is
abse nt and naval flap is medium, W ide with slight
depression in the middle and no slope towards base
of the horns. Comparatively e longate d and straight
with wide muzzle . Medium and thin without sk in folds
ove r the region. Ear orientation is horizontal in
majority of animals and le ngth of ear is 29.30+0.08cm. Soft, thin and ge ne rally black in colour but
fe w animals
are
also obse rved
possessing
coppe r/albino colour (6-7%). Udde r we ll deve lope d,
round in shape and square ly placed. The hind and
fore quarte rs are uniformly we ll de veloped, whe reas
typically whole udde r looks like four e qual divisions
with teats well attached to each quarte r. Majority of
animals have conical teats with round and pointed
tips. Ave rage lactation length(days) 300.96 + 4.43,
Ave rage lactation m ilk yie ld (kg) 2857.21 + 89.76,
Ave rage daily milk yie ld (k g) 11.53 + 0.07, Peak
milk yie ld (kg) 14.87 + 0.21, Ave rage Fat%
6.65 + 0.11 .
Age at First Calving (months) 40.2 8+-0.25, Se rvice
Period (days) 85.64+ 4.23, Dry Period (days)
81.77+ 4.41, Calving Inte rval (days) 372.43+ 3.97,
Gestation Length (days) 301.0+ 2.07.
7. South Kanara: South Kanara buffaloe s are
medium built animals distributed in the e rstwhile
South Kanara region around Mangalore and Udupi on
the west coast of India. This region is enclose d by
the coast line on o n the we st while a range of
mountains called weste rn ghat separates it from the
east. The weste rn ghat region is characte rized by the
natural shoal fore sts which are rich in highly
dive rsifie d fauna and flora.
Towards east, the Weste rn Ghats gradually fade into
sem i-malnad and plain lands of Shimoga districts.
Howe ve r, the prese nce of buffaloes in its original
habitant has de creased substantially while more such
animals are found in the adjoining Shimoga districts.
The coat colour varie s from brown to silve r gre y and
black . Horns are flat, corrugated and curved
proje cting back ward, side ward and upward at the
ne ck region. Tail is fairly long, thin and flexible
ending in a black switch. South kanara buffaloes are
we ll built and me dium sized animals. Head is fairly
long with broad forehead. Ne ck is long with
mode rate ly thick de wlap. Ears are mode rate ly long
and e re ct. Sk in is black . Udde r is mode rately
de ve loped. Teats are medium sized and squarely
placed behind the hind legs. Animals are housed
close to the human dwe llings. South kanara buffaloes
are allowed for grazing during day time in fallow
lands.
Breeding of buffaloes is highly unorganized in the
bree ding tract. Natural se rvice
is commonly
practiced
8. Godavari: Godavari is a lesse r known breed of
buffalo, having the ir breeding tract in east and west
Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh. This breed has
the ir origin from inte rbreed crossing, followe d by
grading of local non-descript buffaloes with Murrah
bree d. The animals of this bree d are also found in
a reas
of
Tanuk u,
Bhimavaram,
Narasapur,
Ramachandrapuram, Kothape ta, Alamurualuqa and
part of Tadepanigudem and Kovvuru, Krishna deltaic
areas of Gudlavalluru. The animals are mediumstatured with compact body. Colour is pre dominantly
black with spare hair coat of coarse brown hairs. The
horns are short, flat, curved, slightly downwards,
back wards and the n forward with loose ring at the
tip. Udde r is medium in size , bowl-shaped and we llpace d medium-size d teats. Milk yie ld is around 2050
kg in a lactation of 305 days (Kumar e t al.,
2004b).The ave rage heart girth 191.55+1.08, Body
length 142.60+2.91,He ight at withe rs 128.28 +
0.90 and He ight at pin bones 117.93 + 0.43 cm in
female Godavari buffaloe s. The mean peak yield,
lactation length and dry pe riod we re.27 +0.19 litres
pe r day, 417.87 + 8.80 days and 148.99 + 4.68
days respe ctive ly. The ave rage age at first calving,
calving inte rval and se rvice pe riod we re found to be
44.23 +0.37 months, 570.17 +10.66 days and
265.95 +10.37 days respe ctive ly.
9. Kundi: The Kundi breed is of the milk type . It is
found in Dadu, Hyde rabad, Karachi, Larkana,
Nawabshah, Sanghar and Thatta districts in Sind
Province. The color is solid black . The ave rage we ight
at maturity for the male is 600 kg and 375 kg for the
female . They are massive animals. The horns are
small and spirally twiste d and hence the name
"Kundi". The udde r is large and strong and the
longe vity of production is 'good'.
10. Tarai: Tarai buffalo breed is the mainly breed of
Uttarak hand. This bree d is found main ly in Ram
Nagar, Sitarganj, Khatima, Nanakmatta areas of
Kumaon of Uttarak hand. This breed is also found in
Philibhit and Bareilly districts of Uttar Pradesh.
Grayish brown to black coat colour on black skin.
Eye lids, hooves, nose ridge, face and paste rn joint
are mostly black in 89 to 95% cases. O rientation of
horns is mostly back ward (76%) and black in color.
Shape of horn is slightly curve d to sick le shape
(76%) measuring 44 cm with tip proje cting mostly
upward (72%). Horns are smalle r in females (32 cm)
than males (44 cm .). Slightly lowe r than hock joint
measuring 89 to 99 cm. Switch of the tail is mostly
white . Medium , compact with small, straight and
shining hair.Nave l is tight and sheath is non
pe ndulous. Head is short in length, convex (60%) or
flat (35%) in shape . O rientation of ear is back ward
and comparative ly small in size . Shape of udde r is
mostly round (56%) and rarely pendulous. Fore
udde r is e ithe r flat (31%) or proje cted (45%) when
filled with m ilk. Rear udde r is small. Heart girth of
adult animals is 201 cm, while paunch girth is 227
cm , he ight of the animals is 156 cm . Nave l is tight
43
Dairy Year Book (2014-15)
BUFFALO–PRIDE OF INDIA, HOPE FOR DAIRY INDUSTRY FUTURE
and sheath is non pe ndulous. Tempe rament of
female is docile, howe ve r, that of male is aggressive
as usual. Ave rage first lactation milk yie ld re corded
as 1030.04±26.78 kg while that in se cond lactation it
was 1080.09±28.58 kg. Ave rage lactation le ngth was
290.00±4.97 days during first and 292.48±5.32 days
during se cond lactation. The ove rall lactation length
was re corded as 291.19±3.63 days. Se rvice pe riod in
Tarai buffalo was re corded 197.07±6.59 days with
47.45% coe fficient of variation. Dry pe riod was
obse rved as 186.92±16.77 days with 46.62 pe r cent
coe fficient of variation.
Faeces: Tremendously used as fue l and organic
fe rtilize r by the rural people.
The Following list describes each use for the Buffalo
parts:
Horns: Headdresse s, spoons, powde r flask s, cups and
arrow straightene rs.
Skull: Painted and used in re ligious festivals.
Tongue: Hair brush; eate n as de licacy
Hair: String, stuffing for pillows and saddles.
Fur: Blanke ts, m ittens and saddle cove rs
Bones: Knives, bones fle shing tools and sle d runne rs
Uses Of Buffalo
Good se rvice behavior may continue until the animal
is 12 years or e ven olde r. It is be lie ved that e ve ry
part of the animal had a purpose . This included the
bones, horns, and hide.
Hide: The buffalo's hide ke pt the people warm
throughout the cold winte r months. The buffalo's sk in
was use d for winte r robes and be dding. The shirts,
leggings, and baby cradles are also made from
processed hide. The buffalo hide was used to make
pouches and gun bags. Buffalo sk ins we re tanned, a
process to make leathe r and to softe n the skin. The
hide is an important item both for export and fo r
local industry. The world’s largest produce rs of good
quality hide s and skins. Leathe r is conside red to be
the most important raw mate rial in the country’s
e conomy.
Hair: The buffalo's coat could be used to fill pillows or
entwine d as rope . Buffalo hairs are thick which
re nde r them suitable for brush production.
Horns: Horns are used as utensils such as spoons and
ladles. The horn also se rved as a drinking cup. Horns
are used to prepare varie ties of practical and
de corative articles including button, toggle s, combs,
spoon, forks, knife , handle , napkin rings, wall
de coration, shoes e tc.
Meat: The buffalo meat can be dried into a thin dried
je rk y-type food, called pemmican. The dried meat
allowed to store it for long stages. Pemmican was
made by cutting the meat into thin slices and drying
it in the sun or ove r a fire. The meat we re stored
with be rries or buffalo fat to keep it fresh.
Tail: The tail can be cut and used for a fly swatte r.
The e nd of the tail has wiry buffalo hair that's thick
enough to be used to swat at inse cts. The tail could
se rve as a whip when attached to a rope . The buffalo
tail was also affixed to wome n hair for de coration.
Bones: Buffalo bones are durable and we re used for a
varie ty of Indian tools and e quipment. The bones
we re carved into knive s and war clubs. The ribs we re
used for e ve rything from arrowheads to scraping
tools to runne rs on winte r sleds. Bones are used to
produce d bone black , a bone charcoal substance
used in fe rtilize r during planting season. The bone
black had high phosphorus le vels, a key nutrient for
plants and vege tables.
Hooves: Glue and tools
Stomach: Buckets and cooking ve ssels
Small Intestines: C ontents eaten afte r light cooking
Ribs: Sleds for children in winte r
Belly Fat: De licacy used in prese rving dried meat
Fat: Soap
Tendons: String, cord and se wing thread.
Bladder: Food bags and wate r containe rs
Liver: Eaten raw
Thigh Bone: For breaking othe r bones for marrow
Tail: Fly Whisks and O rnaments
Raw Hide: C arry bags and harnesses
Tanned hide: robe s, tipi cove rs, bags, moccasins and
leggings
Meat: Eaten fresh or dried.
Hump: Most fla voured meat.
Dung: Fue l for Fire s
Breeding Policy For Buffaloes
The targe t for ge netic up-gradation for aim ing to
increased productivity of buffaloes by gene tic
im provement. Howe ve r, its aim should be of
conse rvation of native breeds. To achie ve the targe t
the colle ctive e fforts of all the agene cies engage d in
buffalo breeding active viz State Animal Husbandry
Department, Coop m ilk unions, NGO ’s, Private se ctor
age ncie s and unre cognized A I worke rs in the state.
Ge rmplasm- Semen of Murrah, Surti, Nili-Ravi,
Me hsana, Zafarabadi, Pondarpuri and Nagpuri should
be used for breeding purpose .
Purpose of buffalo rearing: In rural India, buffaloes
are reared for m ilk production along with limite d use
of males for draught and meat production.
The main purpose s of rearing of rive rine buffaloes
are :
1. Milk Production
2. Meat Production
3. Draught Animals
44
Dairy Year Book (2014-15)
BUFFALO–PRIDE OF INDIA, HOPE FOR DAIRY INDUSTRY FUTURE
re ce nt past. Murrah, Mehsana and Nili Ravi breeds
have re ce ived highe r atte ntio n for improvement
unde r various state schemes. An All India
Coordinated Research Proje ct on Buffaloes during the
Nintee n Eighties initiate d a networked approach by
collaborating
two main
ce ntres
for Murrah
im provement by Progeny Te sting and ex change of
semen. This scheme was upgrated to a Ne twork
Buffalo Production System In Rural
Areas
Due to the be tte r animal husbandry practices
significant improvement has taken place in the
buffalo production system in rural areas. The
aware ness in the farme rs about the feeding,
bree ding and health management of live -stock
conside rably Increase d. The buffalo production
system in rural areas may be classifie d as:
1. Ex te nsive : Small farm, with a maximum of 2
buffaloe s, ke pt on natural grasses, in communal
paddocks during the rainy season. Agricultural byproducts are used for feeding, marginal land, fam ily
labour and minimum investment, with simple,
traditional te chnology.
2. Sem i Intensive : Animals are kept in irrigated areas,
with cultivated fodde rs, crop by-products and
concentrates. Buffaloes are confine d in adequate
buildings.
3. Inte nsive: He rd stre ngth ranges from 5 to 100
buffaloe s, kept for milk production as in Haryana,
Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujrat and close to
the large populated areas in India. The he rds are fed
on cultivated fodde rs and conce ntrate
Life time milk yield and productive life: Nili Ravi
and Murrah breeds on an ave rage comple ted 3
lactations, some studied reported the ave rage
numbe r of lactations comple ted in Murrah to vary
from 4.4 to 5.8 with life time yield 8914 -9994 kgs.
The ave rage numbe r of lactations comple ted and life
time milk yie ld in Surti we re 3.72 and 4960 kg
respe ctive ly.
Meat: Buffalo has not been exploite d fully as a meat
animal in India though the re is little re ligious taboo
to the ir slaughte r. About 86% of the world buffalo
meat production is in Asia and mostly from old and
culled animals. This meat is dark, is le ss tende r, has
a strong odour and thus is gene rally unacceptable.
Howe ve r, whe n young buffaloes are raised unde r
intensive feeding their meat is lean, tende r and
highly palatable compares favourable with beef form
cattle of sim ilar age and we ight. The dressing
pe rcentage in buffaloes is slightly lowe r than in
cattle.
Draughtability: In India 60% of the total farm powe r
is de rive d form draught animals of which about 10%
is from buffaloes. A buffalo can pull loads more than
6 times of its own body we ight, but its usual load
carrying capacity is 1-5 to 2.0 tones i.e. 3 to 4 times
of its body we ight. These loads it can pull for 2 -3
hours continuously and for 6-8 hours in a day during
winte r and 5-6 hours in a day during summe r with
rest in be tween.
Buffalo Improvement And Conservation
Approach
Unde r the various schemes of IC AR [Indian Council of
Agricultural Research] and SAUs [State Agricultural
Unive rsities], improvement of defined breeds and
also some of the strains has bee n taken up in the
Proje ct unde r the Central Institute on Research in
Buffaloes to cove r more locations unde r the
Associated He rd improvement scheme and now
cove rs the bree ds viz. Murrah, Jaffarabadi, Nili-Ravi,
Surti, Bhadawari, Pandharpuri and also two strains
viz. Godavari and Assamese Buffaloes. In addition, a
Ne twork Proje ct on Animal Gene tic Resources has
comple ted surve y work on Jaffarabadi and Nagpuri
bree ds; the in situ conse rvation of Toda and ex situ
conse rvation of Pandharpuri and Jaffarabadi breeds
have also been comple ted. Re cently a state
sponsore d scheme ‘National Proje ct on Cattle and
Buffalo Breeding’ e nvisaged to raise AI facilities for
buffalo breeding in the country. A fie ld oriented
approach
‘Central He rd Re gistra tion Scheme’
im plemente d at some of the locations unde rtook
earmark ing e lite buffaloes at the farme rs le ve l with
regular re cording and gene tic se le ction. From the
point of vie w of conse rvation, the ten defined breeds
can be classified into two groups. Grou p-1 comprises
of stable breeds viz. Murrah, Me hsana, Jaffarabadi,
Nagpuri and Pandharpuri. These do not face
reduction in the ir numbe rs. Group-2 comprises of the
bree ds facing dilution and re duction in numbe rs; the
bree ds are Nili-Ravi, Bhadawari, Surti, Marathwada
and Toda. Indire ct conse rvation efforts have been
made unde r diffe rent schemes at the institutional
le vel. Breed socie ties have been establishe d for
Chilika buffalo and Banni buffalo.
Constraints On Buffalo
Improvement Programmes In India
In India the climatic stresses in the form of high
ambient tempe rature, high hum idity and e rratic or
inade quate rainfall all se ve re ly affe ct the productivity
of dairy cattle . Low fodde r yie ld potential, high prices
of concentrates and susceptibility to a wide varie ty of
animal diseases furthe r to add to the problem.
Gene rally, high intrinsic production is physiologically
antagonistic to heat tole rance, survival and tole rance
to parasites. Poor education and management
expe rtise of farme rs, lack of k nowledge at farm le vel
about the gene tics of m ilk production, poor
unde rstanding of production system, lack of feedback to practical bree de rs, and shortage of qualified
ex tension worke rs and week linkage be tween
ex tension functionaries and farme rs/ livestock
keepe rs have bee n obse rved. Partial or comple te lack
of the infrastructure require d for ope rating effe ctive
im provement
programmes
led
to
poor
communications, in e fficient re cording system and
poor data colle ction.
45
Dairy Year Book (2014-15)