Badri (cattle)

Last updated
Badri
Other namesPahadi
Country of originIndia
Distribution Uttarakhand, specifically the Garhwal region
StandardCertified by ICAR's National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR)
UseMilk production, agriculture
Traits
CoatBlack, brown, red, white, gray
Horn statusCurved upward and inward

Badri is an indigenous breed of cattle found in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, India. [1] It is locally known as Pahadi due to its adaptation to the hilly terrain of the region. [2] It derives its name from Badrinath Temple, a Hindu temple in Uttarakhand. [3] Badri has become the first cattle breed in Uttarakhand to receive certification from the ICAR's National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR). [3] As of 2022, the population of Badri cows in Uttarakhand is estimated to be around 700,000, with approximately 479,000 of them being female. [4]

Contents

The cattle are primarily used for milk production and agricultural purposes, [2] with the milk being rich in A2 proteins, which is considered healthier than A1 proteins found in some other breeds. [5]

History

In 1988, a conservation initiative for Badri cattle began at the Animal Breeding Farm in Nariyalgaon, Champawat, which covers an area of 127 acres. [5]

In 2011, Trivendra Singh Rawat, the then Minister of Animal Husbandry of Uttarakhand, renamed the local breed of cows as Badri during a visit to Champawat. In 2012, a cattle breeding center was established in Nariyal village, Champawat, as part of an initiative to conserve and promote this indigenous breed, which has 137 Badri cows as of July 2016. [3] The Badri cow was officially recognized as an indigenous cattle breed by the Department of Agricultural Research in August 2016. [6]

In November 2022, officials from Uttarakhand's animal husbandry department proposed using sex-sorted semen technology and embryo transfer methods to improve the genetic quality and production of Badri cattle. These proposals were presented during a session with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and state officials. [4]

Characteristics

Badri cattle are relatively small in size, with varied coat colors ranging from black, brown, red, and white to gray. The horns of Badri cows are curved upward and inward, which helps them navigate the rough and uneven terrain of the hills. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guernsey cattle</span> Cattle breed

The Guernsey is a breed of dairy cattle from the island of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. It is fawn or red and white in colour, and is hardy and docile. Its milk is rich in flavour, high in fat and protein, and has a golden-yellow tinge due to its high β-carotene content. The Guernsey is one of three Channel Island cattle breeds; the other two are the Alderney, which is now extinct, and the Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vechur cattle</span> Cattle breed

Vechur is a breed of zebu cattle, named after the village of Vechoor in Kerala, India. With an average length of 124 cm and height of 87 cm, it is the smallest cattle breed in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records, and is valued for the larger amount of milk it produces relative to the amount of food it requires.

The BAIF Development Research Foundation is a NGO based in Urali Kanchan near Pune in Maharashtra, India, that pioneers agricultural development. It was founded in 1967 by Manibhai Desai as the Bharatiya Agro Industries Foundation. Under Manibhai, BAIF pioneered cross breeding of high yielding European cattle such as Holstein Freisian and Jersey with the sturdy Indian breeds such as Gir from Gujarat. Later BAIF expanded the scope of activities to include animal health, nutrition, afforestation wasteland development, and tribal development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murnau-Werdenfels</span> Breed of cattle

Murnau-Werdenfels Cattle are an old, robust dairy breed from Upper Bavaria, the southernmost part of Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pinzgauer cattle</span> Breed of cattle

The Pinzgauer is a breed of domestic cattle from the Pinzgau region of the federal state of Salzburg in Austria. It has distinctive colouring, with chestnut-brown sides and white back and underside. It was in the past a triple-purpose breed, raised for meat, milk and draught use. There is a naturally polled sub-type, the Jochberg Hummel. In 2007 the breed was not considered by the FAO to be at risk.

In Sri Lanka many farmers depend on animal husbandry for their livelihood, but not a large proportion. Therefore, many livestock products have to be imported. The main livestock products in Sri Lanka are milk, meat and eggs. Hides, wools and other products are still not produced within the country. Animal power formerly used in the cultivation of rice and vegetables have been replaced by modern technology to farmlands. However animal husbandry plays an important role in the rural economy for improving the living conditions of farmers in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Punganur cattle</span> Indian breed of cattle

The Punganur is an Indian breed of small zebuine cattle. It is found in the hill country of Chitoor District, in Andhra Pradesh in southern India, and is among the smallest of all zebu breeds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kangayam cattle</span> Indian cattle breed

The Kangayam or Kangeyam is an Indian breed of draught cattle from the state of Tamil Nadu, in South India. Its area of origin is Kongu Nadu, the region surrounding Coimbatore, close to the border between Tamil Nadu and Kerala, but it is distributed over a considerably wider area. The breed name derives from that of the town of Kangeyam. It may also be called Kanganad or Kongu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ongole cattle</span> Breed of cattle

Ongole cattle as called as Ongolu Gitta are an indigenous cattle breed that originates from Prakasam District in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. The breed derives its name from the place the breed originates from, Ongole. The Ongole breed of cattle, Bos indicus, is in great demand as it is said to possess resistance to both foot and mouth disease and mad cow disease. These cattle are commonly used in bull fights in Mexico and some parts of East Africa due to their strength and aggressiveness. They also participate in traditional bull fights in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Cattle breeders use the fighting ability of the bulls to choose the right stock for breeding in terms of purity and strength. The mascot of the 2002 National Games of India was Veera, an Ongole Bull.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yakutian cattle</span> Breed of cattle

Yakutian cattle, Саха ынаҕа in the Sakha language, are a cattle landrace bred north of the Arctic Circle in the Republic of Sakha. They are noted for their extreme hardiness and tolerance towards freezing temperatures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Umblachery</span> Breed of cattle

The Umblachery is an Indian breed of zebuine cattle. It is distributed in the coastal plains of the districts of Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Thanjavur in the state of Tamil Nadu in South India. It was bred for draught work, particularly in the rice paddies of the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rathi cattle</span> Indian breed of cattle

The Rathi (Hindi:राठी) is an Indian breed of dairy cattle. It originates in the state of Rajasthan, and is found principally in the Thar Desert, in the Bikaner, Ganganagar and Jaisalmer districts of the state. It is particularly numerous in the tehsil of Lunkaransar, in Bikaner District. In 2022 the total number of the cattle was estimated at 878852–1169828 head.

Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Hisar, a publicly funded, institute for water buffalo research. It is located 170 kilometres (110 mi) from Delhi, at Hisar in the north Indian state of Haryana. It has a sub-campus, Bir Dosanjh, at Nabha. CIRB operates a nationwide network of 10 research centres working on breed improvement of the 7 main native breeds. CIRB, with over 20 laboratories for buffalo research, is the world's largest buffalo research institute with the widest range of breeds under study. With the aim of improving breeds and dissemination of information, CIRB has sold over 1,000 bulls, conducted ~200,000 artificial insemination in the field for the farmers' buffaloes with a 41% conception rate, distributed ~520,000 progeny tested frozen semen kits to 45,000 farmers and over 250 institutes, imparted training to several thousand farmers on advanced buffalo husbandry, and created the world's first online Buffalopedia in several languages. It has a large research partner network across India and the globe. It is the second institute to successfully clone a buffalo in 2016, after the first successful cloning was achieved by the National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal in 2010. In July 2017, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research ranked CIRB Hisar as India's number one Buffalo research institute for the year 2016–17.

Thomas Phillip Lecky, known as T.P. Lecky (1904-1994), was a Jamaican scientist who developed several new breeds of cattle. Lecky is known as one of Jamaica's earliest environmentalists, and a strong advocate for conservation of hillsides. His research in cattle breeding led to the development of three breeds suited the tropical climate: Jamaica Hope, Jamaica Red, and Jamaica Black. Jamaica Hope was the first breed of cattle indigenous to Jamaica. He is remembered as the Father of the Jamaican Dairy Industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dairy in India</span>

Dairy plays a significant part in numerous aspects of Indian society, including cuisine, religion, culture, and the economy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying</span> Government Agency

The Department of Animal husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) is an Indian government department. It is a subsidiary department of the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries which was formed as a new Indian ministry in 2019. The DAHD or the erstwhile Department of Animal husbandry, Fishiries and Dairying was formed in 1991 by merging together into a separate department, of two divisions of Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, namely animal husbandry and dairy development. In 1997 the fisheries division of Department of Agriculture and Cooperation and a part of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries was transferred to it. In February 2019 the Department of Fisheries was carved out from the Department of Animal husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries and it has been functioning as Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying since then.

Sosamma Iype is an Indian animal conservationist from Niranam, Pathanamthitta district, Kerala. She was the former Head of the Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding at the Kerala Veterinary University and was awarded the Padma Shri for the year 2022 by the Government of India for her services to conserve the Vechur cow, a native breed of cattle. She has devoted her life to the conservation of the Vechur cows and is often called "Vechur Amma," literally meaning mother of Vechur cows.

The Belahi is a medium-sized breed of cattle native to the foothills of Haryana in North India. It is traditionally reared by Gujjar pastoralists, with its distribution extending to Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. The breed is used for both milk production and draft power, particularly in agricultural activities on hilly terrains.

References

  1. "Hemato-biochemical profile of indigenous Badri cattle of Uttarakhand". Indian Council of Agricultural Research . 93. 2023. ISSN   0367-8318.
  2. 1 2 "8 Indian cow varieties and where they are found". The Times of India . July 15, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 Azad, Shivani (July 29, 2016). "Badri cow becomes state's first ever certified cattle breed". The Times of India .
  4. 1 2 Mishra, Ishita (December 11, 2022). "Uttarakhand plans genetic enhancement of its indigenous Badri cow". The Hindu .
  5. 1 2 "Badri Conservation Program". Uttarakhand Livestock Development Board.
  6. "Badri cow gets indigenous tag". Tribune India. August 24, 2024.
  7. "Physical and Morphometric Characterisation of Badri Cattle" (PDF). Journal of Animal Research. 12: 223-228. April 2022.