Over 200 animal breeds still remain undocumented

Chennai: Even as popular Indian cattle breeds like Ongole and Hariana have made a mark in the international dairy market, over 200 animal breeds still remain undocumented in the national data base of farm livestock and poultry.

"Till last year, we had documented 135 animal breeds in the country.This includes 34 cattle, 39 sheep, 21 goats, eight camels besides 15 poultry breeds.There are over 200 animal and poultry breeds that are native to this country, which have still not been documented," B K Joshi, Director, National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources told PTI.

The awareness of the importance of getting native breeds was only now growing. "Now people want to get the breeds registered with us, knowing its importance. But, still we have a long way to go."

All details, including the specific proteins available in an animal, are being documented, he said.

"For instance, milk from cattle breeds in our country has A2 beta casein which is good for patients with neurological and cardiovascular problems, while the A1 protein available in other exotic breeds is not of much use to these patients. So, in future, documenting native breeds will help us enormously," he said.

National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources has since January 1 this year received six applications for documenting.