Lok Sabha Question No. 3724 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-21
Subject: Indigenous Cattle Breed
Ministry: FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
Asked by: Prataprao  Jadhav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING

MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING LOKSABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION No. 3724 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21 ST  DECEMBER, 2021

## INDIGENOUS CATTLE BREED

## 3724. SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV:

## Will the Minister of FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING मत्स्यपालन , पशुपालन और डेयरी मंत्री

be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  is  implementing  any  scheme  to  increase  the  stock  of  indigenous cattle breed in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the details of Indian breed cows, State-wise;
- (c) whether there is any difference between the quality of milk of foreign breed cows and if so, the details thereof;
- (d)  whether  it  has  been  found  in  the  research  that  the  A2  quality  milk  obtained  from  cows  of indigenous breeds is more beneficial for human health and if so, the details thereof?
- (e) whether there is a decline in the total number of indigenous cattle as per the latest livestock census; and
- (f)  if  so,  the  details  of  steps  the  Government  proposes  to  take  to  conserve  and  encourage indigenous breed cows, State-wise?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING (SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

- (a)  Government  of  India  has  been  implementing  RashtriyaGokul  Mission  for  development  and conservation of indigenous breeds, genetic upgradation of bovine population and enhancement of milk production and productivity of bovines.
- (b) The details of the indigenous breeds and their breeding tract is given at Annexure I

(c) As per Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) some of the knowledge available on composition of milk of Indian and foreign (exotic) cattle breeds indicated the differences in levels and concentrations of various constituents of the milk between the two are as under:

(i) Fat and total solid percentage content for Indian dairy cattle has been reported to be higher than the exotic cattle.

(ii) Sahiwal  breed  of  indigenous  cattle  has  shown  significantly  higher  concentration  of unsaturated fat contents (UFA) compared to HF.

(iii) Kashmiri cattle milk proteome was characterized by increased concentrations of immunerelated proteins, neonatal developmental protein while the Jersey milk proteome presented higher concentrations of enzyme modulators.

(iii) Lactoferrin contents in native cattle Malnad Gidda was significantly higher (225.20 g/ml) as compared to exotic cattle (137.8 g/ml).

(v) The  frequency  of  A2A2  genotype  is  higher  in  indigenous  cattle  as  compared  to  exotic cattle.

(vi) In  addition  to  above  many  other  traditionally  acclaimed  properties  and  compositional differences, which opine or state about possibilities of native cows' milk to be better than exotic cows'  milk,  are  being  investigated  by  recent  scientific  techniques  like  proteomics,  fatty  acid profiling, etc, as well as scientific trials to accumulate science-based evidences.

(d) As  per  ICAR  no  study  has  been  undertaken  on  benefits  of  A2  milk  in  human  health. However, under National Fund project on 'Delineating Beta Casein Variants in Indian cows and potential  health  implications  of  A1A2  milk',  ICAR  National  Bureau  of  Animal  Genetic Resources (NBAGR), Karnal and ICAR - National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal have undertaken  a  study  on  effect  of  A1A1,  A1A2  and  A2A2  milk  feeding  in  mice  model.  The histological examination of some selected tissues was carried out and mice group fed with A2A2 milk powder based diet did not revealed any major abnormality compared to mice groups fed with A1A1 and A1A2 based milk diets.

(e) As per the 20 th livestock census the total population of indigenous (indigenous breed and non descript cattle) cattle has declined by 6% between 19 th Livestock Census and 20 th Livestock Census. However, total indigenous female (indigenous breed and non descript cattle) has increase by 10% between 19 th Livestock Census and 20 th Livestock Census.

(f) Following measures have been undertaken by Government of India for development and conservation of indigenous bovine breeds including indigenous breed of cattle.

(i)  Implementation of Nationwide Artificial Insemination Programme using semen of high merit bulls including semen of high genetic merit bulls of indigenous breeds. Under the component till date 2.37  crore  animals  have  been  covered,  2.87  crore  artificial  inseminations  have  been performed and 1.5 crore farmers benefited.

(ii) Implementation of progeny testing and pedigree selection for production of high genetic merit bulls including bulls of indigenous breeds like Gir, Sahiwal, Tharparkar, Kankrej, Hariana, Rathi breeds of cattle and Murrah, Mehsana, Jaffarabadi, Pandharpuri, Nili Ravi breeds of buffalo. So far 2332 high genetic merit bulls of indigenous breeds have been produced and made available to semen stations for semen production.

(iii)  Implementation  of  IVF  for  faster  genetic  upgradation  of  bovine  population  including indigenous breeds of cattle and buffaloes.  Under the component projects have been sanctioned for establishment of 30 IVF laboratories out of this 17 laboratories have been made operational and work is in progress at 13 IVF labs. As on date 12438 viable embryos of indigenous breeds have  been  produced,  5864  embryos  transferred,  951  calves  born  and  5976  embryos  are  under storage.

(iv)       For implementation of genomic selection DNA chip has been developed for identification of high genetic merit bulls of indigenous bovine breeds at young age against 6- 7 years taken in traditional  method  to  prove  genetic  merit  of  the  bulls  National  Dairy  Development  Board  has developed  Indus  chip  and  buff  chip  for  genomic  selection  of  cattle  and  buffaloes  including animals  of  indigenous  breeds.  ICAR  -National  Bureau  of  Animal  Genetic  Resources  has developed Low Density DNA chip  exclusively for genomic selection of animals of indigenous breeds.

(v) Sex sorted semen production for indigenous breeds of cattle along with other bovine breeds has been initiated in the country.  Sex sorted semen is important for production of female calves with 90% accuracy.  As on date around 10 lakh sex sorted semen doses have been produced at Government semen stations and 18 lakh semen doses produced at semen stations with Mehsana Milk Union, BAIF and ABS Chitale.

(vi)       Funds  have  been  released  to  the  States  for  establishment  of  16  Gokul  Grams  for development  and  conservation  of  indigenous  breeds  of  cattle  and  buffaloes  in  scientific  and holistic manner out of which 14 Gokul Grams have been made functional and work is in progress at remaining 2 Gokul Grams.  Two National Kamdhenu Breeding Centres have been established as repository of germplasm of indigenous breeds.

Details  of  the  major  steps  undertaken  under  Rashtriya  Gokul  Mission  for  development  and conservation of indigenous breeds State wise is given at Annexure-II.

## INDIGENOUS BREEDS OF CATTLE

| S. No   | Breed             | State                                                           |
|---------|-------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1       | Gir               | Gujarat                                                         |
| 2       | Rathi             | Rajasthan                                                       |
| 3       | Red Sindhi        | Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Odisha; Bihar (originated in Pakistan) |
| 4       | Sahiwal           | Punjab                                                          |
| 5       | Deoni             | Maharashtra                                                     |
| 6       | Gaolao            | Maharashtra                                                     |
| 7       | Hariana           | Haryana                                                         |
| 8       | Kankrej           | Gujarat                                                         |
| 9       | Krishna Valley    | Karnataka                                                       |
| 10      | Mewati            | Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh                                        |
| 11      | Ongole            | Andhra Pradesh                                                  |
| 12      | Tharparkar        | Rajasthan                                                       |
| 13      | Amrit Mahal       | Karnataka                                                       |
| 14      | Bargur            | Tamil Nadu                                                      |
| 15      | Bachaur           | Bihar                                                           |
| 16      | Binjharpuri       | Osdisha                                                         |
| 17      | Dangi             | Maharashtra                                                     |
| 18      | Ghumsuri          | Odisha                                                          |
| 19      | Hallikar          | Karnataka                                                       |
| 20      | Kangayam          | Tamil Nadu                                                      |
| 21      | Kenkatha          | Madhya Pradesh                                                  |
| 22      | Kherigarh Kheriar | Uttar Pradesh Odisha                                            |
| 23 24   | Khillari          | Maharashtra                                                     |
| 25      | Malvi             | Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan                                       |
| 26      | Nagori            | Rajasthan                                                       |
| 27      | Nimari            | Madhya Pradesh                                                  |
| 28      | Motu              | Odisha                                                          |
| 29      | Ponwar            | Uttar Pradesh                                                   |
| 30      | Red Kandhari      | Maharashtra                                                     |
| 31      | Siri              | West Bengal and Sikkim                                          |
| 32      | Umblachery        | Tamil Nadu                                                      |
| 33      | Vechur            | Kerala                                                          |
| 34      | Punganur          | Andhra Pradesh                                                  |
| 35      | Malnad Gidda      | Karnataka                                                       |
| 36      | Kosali            | Chhattisgarh                                                    |
| 37      | Pulikulam         | Tamil Nadu                                                      |
| 38      | Gangatiri         | Uttar Pradesh                                                   |
| 39      | Belahi            | Haryana                                                         |
| 40.     | Badri             | Uttarakhand                                                     |
| 41      | Konkan Kapila     | Maharashtra                                                     |
| 42      | Lakhimi           | Assam                                                           |
| 43      | Ladakhi           | Jammu &Kashmir                                                  |
| 44.     | Poda Thurupu      | Telangana                                                       |
| 45      | Nari              | Rajasthan                                                       |
| 46.     | Dagri             | Gujarat                                                         |
| 47.     | Thutho            | Nagaland                                                        |
| 48.     | Shweta Kapila     | Goa                                                             |
| 49.     | Himachali Pahari  | Himachal Pradesh                                                |

## Annexure I

Annexure-II Details of the Steps undertaken under Rashtriya Gokul Mission for Development and conservation of indigenous breeds State wise

| SN   | Name of State     | Bull Mother Farms (strengthening)   | National Kamdhenu Breeding Centre   | Pedigree Selection Programme   | Progeny Testing   | IVF Labs   | NAIP-III No of District participati ng   |
|------|-------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|--------------------------------|-------------------|------------|------------------------------------------|
| 1    | Andhra Pradesh    | 1                                   | 1                                   | -                              | 1                 | 2          | 9                                        |
| 2    | Arunachal Pradesh | -                                   | -                                   | -                              |                   | -          | 14                                       |
| 3    | Assam             | 1                                   |                                     | -                              |                   | -          | 33                                       |
| 4    | Bihar             | -                                   |                                     | -                              |                   | 2          | 38                                       |
| 5    | Chhattisgarh      | 1                                   |                                     | -                              |                   | 1          | 27                                       |
| 6    | Goa               | -                                   |                                     | -                              |                   | -          | 2                                        |
| 7    | Gujarat           | 5                                   |                                     | 2                              | 6                 | 2          | 21                                       |
| 8    | Haryana           | 1                                   |                                     | 1                              | 1                 | 1          | 5                                        |
| 9    | Himachal Pradesh  | -                                   |                                     | -                              |                   | 1          | 12                                       |
| 10   | Jammu& Kashmir    | -                                   |                                     | -                              |                   | -          | 20                                       |
| 11   | Laddakh           |                                     |                                     |                                |                   |            | 2                                        |
| 12   | Jharkhand         | 3                                   |                                     | -                              |                   | -          | 24                                       |
| 13   | Karnataka         | 3                                   |                                     | -                              |                   | 1          | 17                                       |
| 14   | Kerala            | 4                                   |                                     | -                              | 1                 | 1          | -                                        |
| 15   | Madhya Pradesh    | -                                   | 1                                   | -                              |                   | 2          | 51                                       |
| 16   | Maharashtra       | -                                   |                                     | 1                              |                   | 3          | 33                                       |
| 17   | Manipur           | -                                   |                                     | -                              |                   | -          | 9                                        |
| 18   | Meghalaya         | -                                   |                                     | -                              |                   | -          | 11                                       |
| 19   | Mizoram           | -                                   |                                     | -                              |                   | -          | 8                                        |
| 20   | Nagaland          | -                                   |                                     | -                              |                   | -          | 11                                       |
| 21   | Odisha            | -                                   |                                     | -                              |                   | 2          | 30                                       |
| 22   | Punjab            | 1                                   |                                     | 1                              | 2                 | 2          | 22                                       |
| 23   | Rajasthan         | -                                   |                                     | 2                              | 1                 | 1          | 33                                       |
| 24   | Sikkim            | -                                   |                                     | -                              |                   | -          | 4                                        |
| 25   | Tamil Nadu        | 2                                   |                                     | -                              | 1                 | 3          | 13                                       |
| 26   | Telangana         | -                                   |                                     | -                              |                   | 1          | 32                                       |
| 27   | Tripura           | 15                                  |                                     | -                              |                   | -          | 8                                        |
| 28   | Uttar Pradesh     | -                                   |                                     | -                              |                   | 4          | 75                                       |
| 29   | Uttarakhand       | 2                                   |                                     | -                              |                   | 1          | 13                                       |
| 30   | West Bengal       | 2                                   |                                     | -                              |                   | 1          | 20                                       |
|      | Total             | 41                                  | 2                                   | 7                              | 13                | 31         | 597                                      |

Abbreviations:  IVF= In vitro Embryo Production Technology; NAIP Nationwide AI programme