Badri Cow

Source: The Hindu

What is the News?

Uttarakhand Government is planning for genetic enhancement of Badri Cow through sex-sorted semen and embryo transfer technology with the aim to increase its productivity.

Measures taken by the Government :

1. The state will promote Badri ghee.
2. Marketing of gaumutra ark (distilled cow urine) and cow dung.
3. Panchgavya (the five products of the cow, including milk, curd, ghee, dung, and urine). 

New methods to be implemented:

• Multiple Ovulation Embryo Transfer (MOET): a conventional embryo flush which is the most common procedure used in advanced cattle breeding.
• Ovum pickup in vitro fertilisation (IVF): It will be used to increase the yield per animal.
• Introducing Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART).

What is Badri Cow?

The Badri breed derived its name from the holy shrine of Char Dham at Badrinath.

It is found only in the hill districts of Uttarakhand and was earlier known as the ‘pahadi’ cow.

Characteristics: The cattle breed is small in size with long legs and varied body colours— black, brown, red, white or grey.

Unique qualities:

• The uniqueness of Badri cow’s produce is indigenousness and environment (in the Himalayas), as it eats medicinal herbs and is far away from toxic pollution, polythene and other harmful things that cows in the plains are subject to.
• – The milk also has rich medicinal content and high organic value as it grazes only on herbs and shrubs available in the mountains.
• – It is also comparatively more resistant to diseases, mostly due to its eating habits.

Issue related with the breed 

Its milk production capacity is quite less as it gives one to three liters of milk per day.

Significance: This cattle of Uttarakhand clinched the coveted title of being the first certified cattle breed of Uttarakhand after the National Bureau Of Animal Genetic Resource included it as Badri breed.

Some Indigenous cattle breeds of India

Alambadi, Amritmahal, Gir, Red Sindhi, Sahiwal, Bargur, Hallikar, Kangayam, Pulikulam