Buffalo Husbandry for Sustainable Development of Small Farmers in India and Other Developing Countries
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Asian Journal of Research in Animal and Veterinary Sciences 3(1): 1-20, 2019; Article no.AJRAVS.47246 Buffalo Husbandry for Sustainable Development of Small Farmers in India and other Developing Countries Narayan G. Hegde1* 1BAIF Development Research Foundation, Pune, India. Author’s contribution The sole author designed, analysed, interpreted and prepared the manuscript. Article Information Editor(s): (1) Dr. Hazem Mohammed Ebraheem Shaheen, Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Damanhour University, Egypt. (2) Dr. Fernando Sanchez-Davila, Professor, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, General Escobedo, México. (3) Prof. Jean-Marie Exbrayat, University of Lyon, UMRS 449, General Biology, Catholic University of Lyon, Reproduction and Comparative Development, Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Lyon, France. Reviewers: (1) Yusuf Özşensoy, Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Turkey. (2) Lyda Yuliana Parra Forero, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of The National Polytechnical Institute, Mexico. (3) Abdullah-Al-Zabir, Sylhet Agricultural University, Bangladesh. Complete Peer review History: http://www.sdiarticle3.com/review-history/47246 Received 20 December 2018 Accepted 10 March 2019 Review Article Published 18 March 2019 ABSTRACT Aim of this paper is to explore the potential of buffalo husbandry for providing sustainable livelihood to small farmers in the developing countries. The world population of 200 million buffaloes has been distributed over 40 countries, but 97 percent population is confined to Asia and India with 109 million buffaloes hosting 57 percent of the total population. These include swamp buffaloes, which are used for meat and draught purposes and river buffaloes which are mainly maintained for milk production. Buffalo is hardier than cattle because of its ability to digest coarse fibre but susceptible to high temperature. India is the highest buffalo milk producer in the world with over 20 breeds of river buffaloes. Among these, Murrah and Jaffarabadi are popular because of high milk yield. Introduction of breeding services using frozen semen enabled small farmers owning nondescript buffaloes, to produce superior progeny and enhance the productivity of buffaloes. With genetic improvement, health care, proper feeding and establishment of marketing network, it should be possible to enhance the milk and meat production of buffaloes in the future. There is also scope to promote buffalo husbandry for milk production in other developing countries. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ *Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected]; Hegde; AJRAVS, 3(1): 1-20, 2019; Article no.AJRAVS.47246 Keywords: Buffalo milk, water buffalo, Asian river buffalo, buffalo husbandry. 1. BACKGROUND calcium, low cholesterol and reduced fat content before consumption, the economy of buffaloes Asian water buffalo, which is commonly known can surpass cows in all respects. However, as buffalo in India, has been an important source buffaloes are poor breeders, as their of milk in the Indian sub-continent since ages, reproductive efficiency is affected by late but neglected in other parts of the world. maturity, poor expression of oestrous symptoms Although buffalo contributed only 12 per cent of particularly during summer, irregular oestrous the world milk production, it was the main source cycle, silent heat, poor conception rate, early of milk in India and Pakistan. It has been embryonic mortality and prolonged inter-calving reported that Asian water buffalo - Bubalus interval [3]. Many of these concerns have been bubalis, was domesticated independently in India addressed through scientific interventions in the about 5000 years ago and in China, 4000 years recent past. However, there is a wide gap earlier, from a wild stock resembling Bubalus between the available scientific knowledge and arnee. The domesticated buffalo was introduced the understanding of buffalo owners in India. across southern mainland Asia, Southeast Asia Hence, this study was undertaken to review the and the Middle East during the next few hundred current status of buffalo population, production years. After a long gap, about two thousand practices and challenges faced by small farmers years ago, it was introduced in north-eastern in increasing milk production, and to suggest Africa and southern Europe. It was only in the suitable management practices to improve their twentieth century that buffalo was introduced in economy. South America [1]. 2. CLASSIFICATION OF BUFFALO Buffaloes have been widely mentioned even in SPECIES ancient Indian mythological scripts, along with cows. However, while the cow was considered Water buffalo, belongs to the species Bubalus as the holiest animal in India, buffalo was bubalis under the Class Mammalia, Subclass – mentioned as the vehicle of Lord Yama, the God Ungulate, Order – Artiodactyla, Suborder – responsible for carrying the soul of dead persons Ruminantium, Family – Bovidae Subfamily – from earth. Another reason for neglect of Bovinae and Tribe – Bovinae – Genus - Bubalus buffaloes was high fat content in milk. With better [1]. This tribe comprises of the following three awareness about the harmful effects of fat on groups: human health, the Indian ancient herbal medical system discouraged the consumption of buffalo 2.1 Tribe Bovinae: Three groups milk and used cow milk and butter oil for treating several ailments [2]. Inspite of such negative 1. Bovina (cattle) stigma about buffalo milk, the demand for buffalo 2. Bubaline (Asian buffalo): 5 Species – milk has been growing in India because of its • Bubalus depressions or anoa: In taste, particularly for preparing tea, curd and Indonesia certain kinds of Indian sweets. Farmers in India • Bubalus carabanesis : Swamp buffalo maintained buffaloes for milk, dung and bullock in the Philippines power. As buffaloes were hardier than cows, • Bubalus mindorensis: Swamp buffalo particularly for their ability to survive on fibrous in the Philippines crop residues, small and poor farmers preferred • Bubalus arnee: Indian wild buffalo to maintain buffaloes. • Bubalus bubalis: Indian Water / River Buffalo During recent years, with better awareness about 3. Syncerina: Syncerus caffer (African the quality of milk and available technologies to buffalo) reduce the fat content without changing other qualities, buffalo milk is regaining its popularity 2.2 Types of Asian Buffaloes not only in India but also in many other countries, in different continents. With better awareness Among Asian buffaloes, there are two and application of modern science and subspecies namely Swamp type with 48 technologies, the productivity of buffalo can be chromosomes and River type with 50 enhanced significantly, while increasing the chromosomes [4]. Buffalo is known as ‘Water popularity of its milk. With high protein and buffalo’ because of its natural instinct to wallow in 2 Hegde; AJRAVS, 3(1): 1-20, 2019; Article no.AJRAVS.47246 water ponds and muddy pools. Buffalo is well meat. Swamp buffalo is called carabao in the adapted to humid tropical climates, but highly Philippines, where it is regarded as the national susceptible to thermal stress, due to low density animal. These are being crossed with Bulgarian of sweat glands on skin. Therefore, their direct Murrah to develop buffaloes, which are good for exposure to sun rays, can lead to depressed meat, milk and draught. In Indonesia and food intake, disturbances in water metabolism, Malaysia, both Swamp and River buffaloes are protein, energy and mineral balances, hormonal present. Water buffalo is known by different secretions and enzymatic reactions. Buffaloes names such as Dombay, Camiz or Camis in thrive well in moderate rainfall areas and need Malaysia and as Komus in Turkey. In Sri Lanka, plenty of water for wallowing. Swamp buffaloes are crossed with Murrah for milk and draught purposes. In Bangladesh, Swamp type Buffaloes: These are lean and Swamp buffaloes are crossbred with River stocky animals with marshy land habitats and are buffaloes such as Murrah and Nili-Ravi for milk found in China, Thailand, the Philippines, production. In Pakistan, only river buffaloes are Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, Sri Lanka, found, mostly for milk production. Main milk Kampuchea, Malaysia and North Eastern states breeds of Pakistan are Nili-Ravi, with an average of India. They are slate grey in colour, with milk yield of 2070 kg/lactation and Kundhi breed, droopy neck and massive backswept horns and having a smaller body size, with an average milk slightly low in weight compared to river type yield of 1825 kg/lactation. Buffaloes in India are buffaloes, with the adult male weighing 325 - 450 maintained primarily for milk production [6]. kg. The females yield up to 600 kg milk per lactation, which is significantly low compared to 3. WORLD BUFFALO POPULATION AND river buffaloes. These animals are used as MILK PRODUCTION draught animals, particularly for rice cultivation and have good potential for meat production. In 2012, world buffalo population was 199.8 The progeny produced from crossing between million, as compared to cattle population of 1428 river and swamp buffaloes in Thailand, million, as presented in Table 1 [7]. Between the Philippines, Vietnam, and China are powerful years 1970 and 2010, buffalo population had work animals, with good quality meat and higher increased by 32 per cent, as compared to 81 per milk production [5].