Karnal: ICAR-NBAGR registers 16 new indigenous livestock and dog breeds
Registration gives these indigenous breeds formal scientific recognition and strengthens framework for their conservation, future development
In a major step towards protecting country’s rich animal genetic heritage, the scientists of Indian Council of Agricultural Research –National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBAGR), Karnal, have registered 16 new indigenous livestock and dog breeds, belonging to nine species across 13 states and one Union Territory (UT).
As per the scientists, the registration gives these indigenous breeds formal scientific recognition and strengthens the framework for their conservation and future development. Besides, it strengthens the national effort to reduce the proportion of non-descript livestock populations through systematic breed identification and documentation for ensuring that valuable locally adapted populations are scientifically recognised and brought within appropriate conservation and sustainable utilisation programmes.
ICAR-NBAGR is a nodal institution responsible for registration of livestock and poultry breeds in India. It has assigned unique accession numbers to all the newly registered breeds, providing formal recognition and strengthening their scientific documentation and conservation framework, said Dr N.H. Mohan, Director, ICAR-NBAGR.
With the new registration, the total number of breeds registered by ICAR-NBAGR, has reached 262, comprising 258 indigenous and four synthetic breeds. Indigenous animal breeds now includes- 59 for cattle, 23 for buffalo, 45 for goat, 50 for sheep, nine for horses and ponies, nine for camel, 16 for pig, five for donkey, six for dog, three for yak, 21 for chicken, nine for duck, two for geese and one for Mithun, he maintained.
The registration was recommended by the 14th meeting of the Breed Registration Committee, held in New Delhi this month under the chairmanship of Dr Raghavendra Bhatta, Deputy Director General (Animal Science), he added.
Giving more details, the Director said that the newly registered breeds include four each of cattle namely Umarda, Periyar, Koppal and Mahakaushali, and sheep namely Madgyal, Seemanchali, Kow Debar and Asomi, two goats -Totapuri and Battisi, one each of buffalo (Gomanchali), dog (Kombai), pig (Nagal), horse/pony (Kashmiri), donkey (Braj), yak (Sikkimese yak).
He claimed that the newly recognised breeds represent diverse agro-ecological regions of the country. Their home tracts include Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Goa, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tamil Nadu, with Battisi distributed across Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and Madgyal across Maharashtra and Karnataka.
“Indigenous breeds have developed in different local environments and have qualities such as climate adaptability, disease resistance and the ability to perform well under low-input conditions. Their conservation is important for protecting genetic diversity, supporting farmers’ livelihoods and ensuring useful livestock resources for future generations. The registration process also recognises the efforts of livestock keepers, breeders, State Animal Husbandry Departments, agricultural and veterinary universities, research institutions and other stakeholders who have contributed to identifying, studying and documenting India’s indigenous animal breeds,” he added.
