Cow breeds found in India

Breeding of cows, production of agriculture and raising poultry farms are the three main economically strongest options for somebody’s livelihood that make him or her rich in terms of money and goods. Hence, in India, if we come across families residing here, we will find most of them breeding any one of the three mentioned above. Cows are bred in the majority of the households that provide them with milk that can be used individually or commercially for economic conditions.

Breeds of cows

Varieties of cow breeds are raised among which, 37 cow breeds are found in our country. These are as follows- Vechur, Umblacheri, Tharpakar, Siri, Sahiwal, Rathi, Punganur, Pulikulam, Ponwar, Ongole, Nimadi, Nagori, Motoo, Mewati, Malvi, Malnad Gidda, Lal Kandhari, Lal Sindhi, Krishnavelly, Kosali, Khillari, Kherigarh, Khariar, Kenkatha, Kankrej, Kangayam, Hariana, Hallikar, Ghumsari, Gir, Gaolao, Gangatiri, Dangi, Devoni, and Amrutmahal.

Indian cow breeds and its importance 

Out of the 37 varieties of cow breeds found in India, the ones known for higher milk production are- Sahiwal, Gir, Red Sindhi, Tharparkar, and Rathi. Here’s a short description of the higher attributes of milk producing cow breeds-

• Gir

It is one of the breeds yielding the highest production of milk. It is usually found in Saurashtra, Gujarat. It yields around 2000-6000 kg. This breed is useful in making hybrid varieties in India as well as in other countries

•  Sahiwal  

It yields around 2000-4000 of milk. It is usually found in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. The breed has its own prominent red color and is also known by the name ‘Red Gold’

• Red Sindhi

It yields an average of 1100-2600 kg of milk. It originated in Sindh and Pakistan. In terms of color, the cow varies from deep reddish brown to a yellowish red but most commonly shows a deep red in color. As compared to Sahiwal, the breed has a high genetic potential for milk production

• Rathi

Its average yield ranges between 1800-3500 kg. Geographically, it is found in the regions of Bikaner, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab. Its white skin with black or gray spots shows its breed characterization. But usually it is found to be brown in color. It is usually believed that this breed is an intermediate of Sahiwal, Red Sindhi, Tharparkar and Dhanni breeds with some proportion of Sahiwal’s blood

• Tharparkar

Its average yield is 913-2146 kg. It is Found in the regions of Sindh (Pakistan), Kutch, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur. Other names of this breed are ‘Thari’, ‘Gray Sindhi’,and ‘White Sindhi’. It was used for producing the ‘Karan Fries’ breed since it has a better tolerance of heat and resistance to diseases

• Deoni

It yields around 638-1229 kg of milk. It is found in Marathwada, Maharashtra. Other names of this cow breed are “Surti”, “Dongarpati”, “Dongri”, “Wannera”, “Shevera” etc. Mixture of Gir, Dangi and local cattle gives rise to this particular breed

• Hariana

Its average yield is around 1000-2000 kg. Its geographical origins are Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan.  This breed provides good production of milk

Top 10 milk producing countries in the world

Here are the 10 most milk producing countries. These are as follows-

1. India.
2. USA.
3. China.
4. Pakistan.
5. Brazil.
6. Germany.
7. Russia.
8. France.
9. New Zealand. 
10. Turkey.

Conclusion

Hence the economy of India is usually based on production of milk by different breeds of cows that plays an important role in uplifting the economy of our country. 146.31 million tonnes of milk is the annual production in the country. Apart from the above mentioned lists of  cow breeds, other economically milk yielding cow breeds could be- Deoni, Hariana, Kankrej, Ongole, Red Kandhari, Nimari, Malvi and many more. This is how breeding of cows in households plays a critical role in becoming a part of the economic supplies of the country.