India and livestock farming the two names are parts and parcel to each other. There are several best milk producing cattle breeds in India. From the beginning of Indian civilization, there has been being practiced of cattle farming; even in some cases, the Indians think cattle (cow) is God. Here we will discuss the ten best milk-producing cattle breeds in India.
Among the most popular cattle breeds for milk-producing are the Nelore cattle, Brahman cattle, Guzerat cattle, and Zebu that have originated from India, Pakistan, and some other Asian countries. The best milk producing cattle breeds in India are Sahiwal, Gir, Rathi, Tharparkar, and Red Sindhi. As we know India has the biggest milk-producing farm in the world, side by side fifth-largest beef-producing and fourth-largest beef-exporting country according to the United States Department of Agriculture(USDA). Recently India has declared for ‘Pink’ regulation (beef production) along with ‘Green’ and ‘White’ revolutions in its food enterprise. It has enormous poultry, cattle population, and fish farming using modern aquaculture techniques such as biofloc.
To attempt to double milk producers’ income at farm level by 2021-22 by providing the milk producer with greater access to the organized milk processing sector according to the National Action Plan for Dairy Development, Vision 2022. The milk production which is imagined to be 254.55 Million MT by 2021-22 and 300 Million MT by 2023-24 from the existing 163.7 Million MT will be requiring an annual growth rate of 9.2%.
Cattle farming have been a good source of income at present for people for ages. And if we talk about the present status of livestock farming in India, it has become a profitable business sector as the Indian Govt. takes some initiative for vision 2022 in dairy sector development.
Table of Contents
Best Milk Producing Cattle Breeds in India
Among almost seventy five cow breeds in India according to Wikipedia. Here we will discuss only ten best milk producing cattle breeds in India. These are as flows.
Gir
The Gir or Gyr, originates from the Gir forests of South Kathiawar in Gujarat, is one of the best milk producing cattle breeds in India. These are also found in adjacent states Rajasthan and Maharashtra as well. These have been reared locally in the improvement of other breeds like the Red Sindhi and the Sahiwal. It was also one of the breeds that were used to develop the commercial Brahman breed in North America. In Brazil and other South American countries, the Gir is used frequently for milk producing. Its horns are curved and look like a ‘half-moon’ shape.
These cattle breeds’ average weight is 385 kg and 130 cm in height. Bull’s average weight is about 545 kg, with a height of 140 cm. The average milk yield for the Gir is 1500 to 1800 kilograms per lactation, with a record production of 3182 kg at 4.5% fat in India. In Brazil, they give an average of 3500 kg per lactation. This bread is recognized as farmer-friendly for its hardiness disease resistance.
Sahiwal
Sahiwal cattle breeds are one of the zebu cow, named after an area in the Punjab (now in Pakistan), where the cattle is found. Originated in the Montgomery region these cattle breeds are considered a heat-tolerant cattle breed. This cattle breed is also known as Lola, Bar, and Multani, it is thought that the Sahiwal is the best indigenous dairy breed in India for milk-producing. In India, this cattle breed is compared to the Holstein Cattle Breed for milk-producing.
Due to its unequaled characteristics, the Sahiwal cattle breed was merchandized to a wide list of countries and regions. The Sahiwal cattle breed breeds reached in Australia via New Guinea at the beginning of the 1950s. The average milk yield of Sahiwal is between 1400 to 2500 kilograms per lactation. At present these cattle breeds can be found in many parts of India like Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh.
Red Sindhi
The red Sindhi is usually found in the Karachi and Hyderabad district of neighboring Pakistan. It’s also called Sindhi and Red Karachi. They are widely farming for commercial milk production in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and other Asian countries. They are also used for crossbreeding with temperate (European) origin dairy breeds in many countries to coalesce their tropical adaptation capabilities like heat tolerance, disease resistance, fertility at higher temperatures, etc, they are not the same as the Norwegian Red Cattle Breed.
The Red Sindhi body range in color from a deep reddish-brown to a yellowish red, but most frequently a deep-red. They are differentiated from the other dairy breed of Sindh, White Sindhi (Tharparkar), both by color and form, the Red Sindhi is smaller, rounder, with a more typical dairy form, and with short, curved horns, but the Tharparkar are comparatively taller with a shape more typical. The average milk yield of the red Sindhi is between 1200 to 2600 kilograms per lactation. Red Sindhi is widely utilized in crossbreeding programs.
Rathi
Rathi is another one of the best milk producing cattle breeds in India. Rathi considered as most popular and maybe a breed of cattle indigenous to India. It originated within the region of the state of Rajasthan consisting of Bikaner, Ganganagar, and Hanumangarh districts. It’s important for its dual-purpose cattle breed of India known for both its milking and draught prowess. The cattle are locally known to possess two variants. Rathi may be a draft breed while Rath may be a pure milch variant.
The Rath variant originated within the Alwar district of Rajasthan and was domesticated by the Rath tribe. Rath is characterized by its white skin with black or gray spots while Rathi is typical of brown color. The cattle are efficient and good milkers. They produce 1560 kilograms of milk and therefore the lactation milk yield ranges from 1062 to 2810 kilograms per location.
Ongole
Ongole cattle breeds, mostly known as milk-producing cattle breeds, are indigenous cattle breeds and originate from Prakasam District, the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. The name ‘Ongole’ comes from the place the breed originates from, Ongole.
Ongole cattle breeds are mostly known for their toughness, rapid growth rate, and natural tolerance to tropical heat and natural disease resistance. It was the first Indian cattle breed of cattle to gain worldwide recognition.
They are generally large muscular cattle breeds with a well-developed hump. Very importantly the Ongole is suitable for heavy slug work. They are also known as Nellore to the local people and their average milk yield is 1000 to 1200 kilograms per lactation.
Deoni
The Deoni is an Indian breed of slug cattle breed. It’s named after the taluk of Deoni within the Latur district of Maharashtra state and is distributed mainly within the Latur, Nanded, Osmanabad, and Parbhani districts of the Marathwada region of Maharashtra also because the Bidar district of Karnataka. The milk yield of Deoni ranges from 800 – 1200 kilograms per lactation and their caving interval average is 447 days. The bullocks are used for heavy cultivation.
Kankrej
This cattle breed originated from Southeast Rann of Kutch, Gujarat, and neighboring Rajasthan (Barmer and Jodhpur district). The color of the cattle varies from silver-grey to iron-grey/steel black. Kankrej is sort of popular because it is fast, powerful, and draught cattle. It’s used for plowing and carting. These cattle breeds are also good milk-producing cattle and yield about 1200 to1400 kilograms per lactation.
Tharparkar
This breed originated within the Tharparkar district (now in Pakistan) of undivided India and is additionally found in Rajasthan. It’s also referred to as Gray Sindhi, White Sindhi, and Thari. Tharparkar is medium-sized cattle, with a lyre-shaped horn. Their body color is white/light grey. The bullocks are suitable for plowing and casting. Additionally, it yields 1800 to 2600 kilograms of milk per lactation.
Haryana
Though Hariana cattle breed originates from Rohtak, Jind, Hisar, and Gurgaon districts of Haryana but these cattle breeds are equally popular in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and parts of Madhya Pradesh. The bullocks are considered as powerful work animals. Hariana cattle are also famous for milk-producing. Hariana cattle yield normally700 – 850 kilograms of milk per lactation.
Krishna Valley
Krishna Valley is another one of the best milk producing cattle breeds in India. It originates from the black cotton soil of the watershed of the famous river Krishna in Karnataka, but it is found in border districts of Maharashtra also. The cattle are big in size, having a huge frame with a deep, slackly built short body. Its tail reaches almost to the bottom. The bullocks are very strong and thus used for plowing and valued for his or her good working qualities. The typical yield is 900 kilograms per lactation.
