Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences (TANUVAS) has decided to set up a conservation centre for Naatu Kuttai Maadugal, a cattle breed prevalent in Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Villupuram districts.
“The total project cost is ₹86 lakh and it will be set up at our Post Graduate Research Institute in Animal Studies (PGRIAS) at Kattupakkam,” said G. Tensingh, Registrar of TANUVAS.
He said TANUVAS had already established conservation centres for Kangeyam, Puliyur, Pargur, Umblacherry and Alambadi cattle breeds to prevent native breeds from extinction in the face of cross breeding through artificial insemination.
The population of native breeds has come down drastically since farmers opt for cross-breeding to increase the milk yield and to improve the breed. Milk yield from the native breed is very less when compared to cross-breed animals. What is sustaining them today is organic farming which uses the urine and dung of native cattle. Kangeyam Cattle Research Station is selling urine on a daily basis for organic farmers since it has high nitrogen content.
Dr. D. Balasubramanyan, Professor and Head of the Department, PRGIAS, said though there were adequate numbers, cross-breeding through artificial insemination pose a threat. “If we do not study the breed now, we may not be able to study in the future. We will create a semen bank and supply it to farmers who are interested in raising it. There is also a plan to sell bulls,” he said.
Though slightly taller than the Punganur cow of Andhra Pradesh, Naatu Kuttai cattle weighs about 170 kg and its total length is 105 cm. Its milk yield is between one and one and half litres. Asked how one could convince farmers to keep the breed when they could not get anything substantial in return, Dr Balasubramanyan said the input for rearing the breed was almost zero.
“It does not require targeted feed that is necessary for rearing cross-breeds. Naatu Kuttai breed can produce milk just by grazing on the limited land available, Moreover, its urine and dung are valuable components for organic farming and the demand is increasing,” he said.
