Karnal: 16 new indigenous livestock, dog breeds registered at ICAR-NBAGR

The registration of the breeds was recommended at the 14th meeting of the breed registration committee, chaired by Raghavendra Bhatta, deputy director general, animal science held this month in New Delhi

Scientists at the Karnal-based Indian Council of Agricultural Research–National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBAGR) have registered 16 new indigenous livestock and dog breeds.

With the new registration, the total number of breeds registered by ICAR-NBAGR has reached 262, comprising 258 indigenous and four synthetic breeds. (HT File)

The registration of the breeds was recommended at the 14th meeting of the breed registration committee, chaired by Raghavendra Bhatta, deputy director general, animal science held this month in New Delhi.

The newly registered breeds include four cattle breeds (Umarda, Periyar, Koppal, and Mahakaushali); four sheep breeds (Madgyal, Seemanchali, Kow Debar, and Asomi); two goat breeds (Totapuri and Battisi); and one each of buffalo (Gomanchali), dog (Kombai), pig (Nagal), horse/pony (Kashmiri), donkey (Braj), and yak (Sikkimese yak), the NBAGR said in a statement.

Scientists said the breeds belong to 13 states and one union territory (UT) including Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Goa, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tamil Nadu.

With the new registration, the total number of breeds registered by ICAR-NBAGR has reached 262, comprising 258 indigenous and four synthetic breeds.

NBAGR is a nodal central institution responsible for registration of livestock and poultry breeds in the country.

The bureau has assigned unique accession numbers to all the newly registered breeds, which gives them a formal scientific recognition and strengthens the framework for their conservation and future development by various agencies, scientists said.