Punjab is an Indian state well known to the world for its immense wealth of livestock. Punjab houses the world famous Nili-Ravi buffalo and Sahi-wal cattle.
The livestock in Punjab includes other cattle breeds which are as follows:
Buffalo in Punjab is the principal dairy livestock. It accounts for around 75% of the milk produced in the state. The dairy colonies sustain on Nili-Ravi breed as well.
Various agro-ecological zones have different distributional patterns for the livestocks especially for the buffaloes. The maximum concentration of the population is in northern irrigated districts. The buffalo is most densely populated in the districts of
Punjab has been concentrating on the cross breeding in its livestock especially in the cattle for the last three decades. The potential of production of these hybrids is much higher if not double than those of the local dairy breeds. There is a very important disadvantage with these cross breeds that they cannot adapt to the local climatic conditions. Their disease resistance power is also very low.
There is no systematic breeding program of the livestock for the production of optimal level of exotic inheritance. Moreover, crossbred bulls (and semen) of desired exotic inheritance are often not available. Well organized drives to promote and develop the indigenous breeds are wanted due to the absence of breed associations.
