Analysis on trends of geographic and demographic distribution of Indian cattle

Abstract

The Indigenous cattle are rich in variability and are endowed with many positive traits like superior disease resistance and better tolerance to heat/humidity and feed scarcity etc. The present status of indigenous cattle was evaluated in terms of the population trend and their distribution at state and district level. It is estimated that population of indigenous cattle will decrease to 120.453 million by 2031. The four states of Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan hold the 40.3 percent of the indigenous cattle population of India. Region comprising three North-central districts of Dinajpur Uttar, Dinajpur Dakshin and Maldah in West Bengal has the highest density of 269.4 indigenous cattle per km2. Medinipur-West district in West Bengal has the highest population (1.379 million) of indigenous cattle followed by Bankura (1.245 million), Bardhman (1.142 million) and Coochbehar (1.115 million) districts of the same state. In terms of density per km2 Coochbehar (329.2) and Dinajpur-Uttar (326.0) in West Bengal has the highest density of indigenous cattle followed by Kishenganj (307.6) in Bihar and Godda (296.3) in Jharkhand. During 2007-2012, the population of indigenous cattle registered a decline of 8.94 percent, but the rate of decline in the population of recognized breeds (31.9 percent) was more than thrice as fast during the same period. In view of deteriorating population of indigenous cattle and their breeds, it is imperative to formulate suitable programmes of genetic improvement, development and conservation of indigenous cattle available in India.