India is blessed with a large variety of cattle breeds. There are over 50 indigenous cattle breeds in the country. It is a little-known fact that India is the country with the highest number of registered cattle breeds in the world.
Cattle in India is mainly used for the production of dairy. It is important to note that India is one of the largest dairy-producing countries in the world. India has approximately 50 indigenous breeds of cattle and 12 indigenous breeds of buffalo.
Indian Indigenous Breeds are a result of generations of breeding
India has unique and diverse climatic conditions. Indigenous breeds of cattle are well adapted to these climatic conditions. Indigenous breeds require very little resources as compared to foreign breeds of cattle. Their dairy output in relation to fodder resources is very high. This along with the fact that Indian breeds of cattle are naturally resistant to various diseases make Indian cattle prized for dairy production.
In this article, we will explore the top ten indigenous breeds of cattle in the country. These cattle breeds are prized for their dairy output as well as their ability to be hard-working field animals.
India’s top 10 indigenous cattle breeds
Let us do a rundown of the most popular breeds of cattle in the country, and also discover from which part of India they originate.
Gir
This breed of cattle originates from South Kathiawar in Gujarat. It is a hardy breed of cattle and is in high demand for milk production. Gir cattle is mainly used as a dairy cow because of its high milk output. The Gir cow produces approximately 1200 Kg to 1800 Kg of milk per lactation. The Gir is a hardy breed of cattle and has strong natural disease resistance.
Sahiwal
The Sahiwal breed of cattle originates from the Montgomery region of united India. This region is now in Pakistan. The Sahiwal breed is prized for its milk production capabilities. The breed can be found in various parts of India which include Punjab, Delhi, and Haryana. The Sahiwal breed can produce 1400 to 2500 kilograms of milk per lactation.
Red Sindhi
The Red Sindhi breed of cattle originates from the Sindh region of India. It is also known as the Red Karachi or Sindhi breed of cattle. The Red Sindhi is a proficient milker and produces 1100 to 2600 kilograms of milk per lactation.
Rathi
The Rathi breed of cattle originates from the dry regions of Rajasthan. The breed is believed to originate from the cross-breeding of Sahiwal with Red Sindhi. This breed of cattle is prized for its milk production capabilities, The Rathi breed produces up to 2800 kilograms of milk per lactation season.
Ongole
The Ongole breed of cattle originates from Andhra Pradesh. The bullocks of these breeds of cattle are very strong and are used for the plowing of fields. This breed of cattle can be found in Karnataka and neighboring Maharastra as well.
Deoni
The Deoni breed of cattle is prized for its milk production capabilities. The breed can be found in Western Andhra Pradesh as well as the regions of Marathwada and Karnataka. The Deoni breed of cattle can produce up to 1200 Kilograms of milk per lactation.
Kankrej
The Kankrej breed of cattle originates from the southern Rann of Kutch in Gujarat and neighboring regions. It is a popular breed of cattle as it is a drought-tolerant cow. This breed of cow is a good milker and yields 1400 kilograms per lactation.
Tharparkar
The Tharparkar breed of cattle is also known as the Gray Sindhi or White Sindhi breed of cattle. The body color of this breed is white or gray. They are a medium-sized breed of cattle and are good milkers. They yield up to 2600 kilograms of milk per lactation.
Hariana
The Hariana breed of cattle is very popular in North India and originates from the state of Haryana. It can be also found in the states of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and parts of Madhya Pradesh. The Hariana breed of cattle produces a fair amount of milk of about 800 kilograms of milk during lactation.
Krishna Valley
This breed of cattle originates from the watershed black soil regions o Karnataka, near the Krishna River. The cattle has a large frame with a tail that almost reaches the ground. The bullocks of this breed are very strong and prized for their ability to plow the ground. The average yield of the Krishna Valley breed of cattle is approximately 900 kilograms of milk per lactation.
