Native cow varieties of India

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Why make this list?

A recent investigation by the Tehelka magazine arrived at the conclusion that in 10 years, India will be forced to start importing milk, and that Indian cow will cease to exist. Why? Due to several reasons:

1. India, over the past few decades, imported several exotic cow varieties to gain a boost in milk production. In Punjab, for example, 80% of the state's one lakh stray cattle are exotic breeds. These breeds theoretically produce a lot of milk, but are not well-adapted to Indian conditions.
2. 69% of Indian cows are owned by the economically poor strata of the society. These folks cannot afford to house these exotic breeds in regulated climate conditions.
3. The government has significantly mismanaged cow breeding. The average milk yield per animal in India is just 3.2 kgs, compared to a global average of 6.6 kgs. The dairy policy and outlook is highly outdated and needs to be replaced with modern, evidence-based thinking.

India has 37 pure cattle breeds. Five of these — Sahiwal, Gir, Red Sindhi, Tharparkar and Rathi — are known for their milking prowess. A few others, such as Kankrej, Ongole and Hariana, belong to dual breeds that have both milch and draught qualities; ie, they are good plough animals. The rest are pure draught breeds.

Source: Tehelka

Indigenous cattle varieties

Data derived from the following sources:

• Report on National Commission on Cattle
• List of cattle breeds Article on Wikipedia
• Images were downloaded from various sources, primarily Wikimedia Commons and Gougram.org's Picasa page

Name	Average yield/lactation	Geographical range	Description (Source)	Image	Other names
Gir	2000-6000 kg	Saurashtra, Gujarat	This breed produces the highest yield of milk amongst all breeds in India. Has been used extensively to make hybrid varieties, in India and in other countries like Brazil.
Sahiwal	2000-4000kg	Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana	The cow is easily identifiable by its prominent red color	200px
Red Sindhi	2000-4000kg	Originated in Sindh, Pakistan. Now widespread.
Rathi	1800-3500 kg	Bikaner, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab	Type of a w:Zebu cattle.		Bos primigenius, Bos taurus, Bos indicus
Tharparkar	1800-3500 kg	Sindh (Pakistan), Kutch, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur	Bullocks are slow workers. Cows are good milkers. Same species as Rathi.		Bos primigenius, Bos taurus, Bos indicus
Deoni		Marathwada, Maharashtra
Hariana	1000-2000 kg	Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan	Bullocks are useful for ploughing and transport. Cows are good milkers.
Kankrej	1500-4000 kg	Bhuj, North Gujarat, Rajasthan	Bullocks are strong and hard-working. Among the largest cattle breeds in India
Ongole	NA	Guntur, Ongole in Andhra Pradesh	Bullocks are useful for ploughing and cart-work / transport. Cows are fair milkers. Has natural resistance to both foot and mouth disease and mad cow disease	200px
Red Kandhari	NA	Marathwada, Maharashtra.	Bullocks are good draught animals. Cows are good milkers.
Nimari	NA	Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh	This is a dual purpose milk and draught breed. Animals are copper colored, with patches of white.
Malvi	NA	Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan	Bullocks are useful for ploughing. Cows are average milkers.
Dangi		Western Maharashtra	Especially good for heavy rainfall areas for draught purpose.
Khillari cattle		Southern Maharashtra, Northern Karnataka	Bullocks are hardy and well-known for being fast in work.
Amritmahal	1000-1200 kg per lactation	Karnataka	Bullocks are well-known for draught power and endurance.
Hallikar		Hassan, Mysore, Tunkur districts of Karnataka	Draught breed both used for road and field agricultural operations. Closely related to Amrit Mahal. However, are much thinner and produce low yields of milk.
Kangayam		Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu	Bullocks are strong draught animals. Their skin is very strong and tight.
Nagori		Nagore, Rajasthan	It is an excellent draught breed. Bullocks are good for draught purposes.
Baraguru		Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu	Bullocks are good work animals.
Kenkatha		Banda, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh.	Bullocks are small but fairly sturdy animals and good for cultivation in rocky areas.
Siri		Hills around Darjeeling and Sikkim. Originally from Bhutan.	This breed can stand the rugged conditions of the mountains very well. Bullocks are eagerly sought after for draught purposes (ploughing and transport) due to their reputed great strength.		Nublaung (Bhutanese)
Bachaur		Sitamarhi, Bihar.	Bullocks are used for draught purpose. Cows are poor milkers.
Kherigarh		Kheri, Uttar Pradesh.	The cattle of this breed are very active and thrive on grazing only. Bullocks are good for light draught and quick light transport. The cows are poor milkers.
Mewati		Rajasthan	Mewati cattle are in general sturdy, powerful and docile and are useful for heavy ploughing, carting and drawing water from deep wells. Cows are said to be good milkers.
Umblachery		Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu	It is a draught breed of the Zebu type, similiar to Kangayam but smaller. They are gray with white spots. The bulls are used in the sport of Jallikattu or bull-taming, which is different from the Spanish custom of matadors and running of the bulls.
Krishna Valley		Southern border of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh	Bullocks are powerful and good for heavy ploughing and slower draught purpose. Cows are fair milkers.		Krishna Tira
Ponwar		Pilbhit, Uttar Pradesh	Draught purpose. Cows are poor milkers.
Vechur		Kerala	Smallest cow breed in the world! Bullocks are mainly used for draught purpose. Cows are poor milkers. In the image alongside, the smaller cow is a 16 year old Vechur cow, while the larger cow is a 6-year old cross bred cow.
Malenadu Gidda		Coastal and hilly areas of Karnataka
Kasaragod		Kerala

Additional reads

• A Pastolral Elegy Outlook Magazine. "Contrary to popular belief, indigenous breeds are a sturdier option than disease-prone crossbreds"

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Title	Native cow varieties of India	Article is on this general topic	Biodiversity data	Author	Gaurav Moghe
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Species Group	Animals	User ID	User:Gauravm	Page creation date	2013/1/26

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