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Maharashtra: Breed-wise cattle census to fix declining numbers

The headcount will be taken by around 7,200 enumerators till December 31, using a tab-based online system, and the results will be declared by March 2019.

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To conserve declining or threatened species of desi (indigenous) milch animals, the livestock census launched last month, will map breeds of animals including cows and buffaloes.

Kantilal Umap, Commissioner, Animal Husbandry, told DNA that the livestock census, which would be the 20th to be conducted since 1919-20, would enumerate the population of 15 domesticated animals, like cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, poultry, horses and ponies, donkeys, camels and dogs and also poultry and birds.

The headcount will be taken by around 7,200 enumerators till December 31, using a tab-based online system, and the results will be declared by March 2019. The new app-based system will help do away with data inaccuracies and anomalies that crept into offline enumeration.

"It will register the breed-wise number of animal species, including cows and buffaloes along with their age and sex composition," said a senior official from the department of animal husbandry and dairy development. The breeds will be identified by enumerators based on their characteristics, and categorised into sections like indigenous, exotic (which originate in other countries), cross breed and non-descript (those that are neither pure or graded and cannot be identified as a particular breed).

Maharashtra is the home-tract of five registered breeds of cows namely, Gaolao, Lal Kandhari, Deoni, Dangi and Khillar and three buffalo breeds (Pandharpuri, Marathwadi and Nagpuri). The National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) has 41 registered breeds of cattle and 13 registered breeds of buffaloes.

Another official said the breed-wise census would determine the numbers of local varieties of cattle, including those facing extinction, and enable programs to be taken up for their conservation and development. "Once we get breed-wise statistical data, a plan for the development of breeds to increase productivity can be framed," he added.

This is the first census being conducted after the 2015 ban in Maharashtra on culling bulls and bullocks.

WHAT IS LIFESTOCK CENSUS

  • Launched last month, the census will map breeds of animals, including cows and buffaloes.
     
  • The aim of the survey is to conserve threatened species of desi and indigenous milch animals
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