India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, The Middle East, Egypt, Turkey and more countries

India accounts for 7.6% of the worlds milk production cows. Taylor cattle are hump-less and black, grey or red in colour. India is the world’s second largest cow’s In 1988 it was estimated that the milk producer, accounting for 7.6% of breed numbered between 100 and 1,000 world production and producing over 44 animals. Today the breed is probably al- million tonnes in 2008. And India is en- most extinct. William Taylor, the Com- dowed with the largest livestock popula- missioner of Patna Division, in 1856, tion in the world. It accounts for 57 % of had started an Industrial Institution by the world’s buffalo population and 14% raising funds from the public. There was of the cattle population. to be a breeding establishment of cattle, According to Livestock Census sheep and pigs as a section of this Insti- (2003), the country has about 185 mil- tution. lion cattle and 98 million buffaloes. India With this idea in view, he obtained possesses 27 acknowledged indigenous four English bulls. There is no definite in- Australian Jerseys in India. In 1971, some breeds of cattle and seven breeds of buf- formation as to the exact history or breed 300 Jerseys were exported from Australia faloes. (Source: India Year Book 2008). of these bulls. A close study, however, of to India. The cattle were a gift from the A significant increase compared to the physical conformation of their prog- Australian Government to India under the 1982, when the chairman of the National eny leads one to surmise that they were Colombo plan which was a post-colonial Dairy Development Board in India, Dr. probably of either Jersey or Guernsey initiative launched in 1951, initially by V. Kurien reported, that India was the origin, as the features of these animals seven Commonwealth nations, to boost fourth or fifth largest milk producing are more akin to them than to any other Asian economic and social development country in the world. At that time there English breeds. through economic and technical assistance. were 87 million milking cows and buf- It is said that these imported animals faloes in India, plus 81 million draught were the progenitor of the existing herd males. of the cross-bred cattle found in Patna. purebred Jerseys in 1904 existed in the From 1970 to 1981 India’s milk pro- The main results of this cross-breeding Kashmir Valley in western Jammu and duction increased from 21 to 32 million was an improvement in milk producing Kashmir State, northern India. tonnes. (Source: WJCB, 1982) capacity in the cows, whose yield ranged They were imported from Australia In 1983, it was estimated by the from 16 to 28 lbs of milk per day. before the date. Pure exotic breeds, how- WJCB that there were 1,000,000 million The breed, for a number of years, was ever, were very much susceptible to the Jersey cattle in India. localised within the Patna town area and Indian climate, so Jerseys introduced into Crossbreeding with the local its suburbs. Later it, however, gradually India were usually crossbred with a high penetrated in the neighbouring villages. yielding breed in India like Taylor cattle found in Patna, Bihar, was The animals did not seem to thrive well and also other indigenous breed of cattle, created since 1856 by crossing Shorthorn outside Patna. It was perhaps due to ex- to produce or boost up the yield of milk. and Channel Island bulls with local treme care and attention paid to them by Following Indian cattle breeds have un- the vendors in Patna. til 1988 been crossbred with Jersey: Gir; The cows were mostly adapted to Hariana or Harayna; ; Rathi; Red stall-feeding, because the town provided Sindhi; Sahiwal; Tharparkar. no facility for grazing. But on account of In the late 1950s a project was com- their high milk yield, cows had been very menced with crossing much popular with the milk traders, who with Brown Swiss, Holstein and Jersey carried on trade in milk supply. There- cattle as part of the “All India Coordi- fore, majority of the cows were reared nated Research Project on Cattle”. The and maintained by them. A fraction of results confirmed the superiority of the the total strength of cow was, however, reproductive performance of Jersey cross- also maintained by private individuals for es. The essential conclusion was that in their domestic needs. (Source: e.g. Sinha, arid areas of India the use of exotic breeds 1951) should be restricted to Jersey, which dis- Purebred Jerseys in the  played the best adaptability to high am- Kashmir State bient temperature. In 1956, a development program was A more systematic effort to increase milk initiated in Darjeeling, in which the Siri Taylor cattle found in Patna, Bihar, were production in tropical countries by cross- breed was improved with Jersey blood. created in 1856 by crossing Shorthorn and breeding with European dairy breeds The Siri breed – the cattle belonging to Channel Island bulls with local Zebu cows. dates back to early 20th century. Several the kingdom of Bhutan, since then spread

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across Sikkim into the Darjeeling region New Zealand and America. plants where the milk was pasteurised and also into Nepal, located in the Hima- That was the first step they took to im- and handled. (Sources: e.g. WJCB, 1982) layas and west by India. In Nepal, the de- prove the breed in India to see how these In 1999, the estimated number of scendants of some Jerseys, imported by bloodlines performed as parent stock to small-holders in India was 70 million, nineteenth-century British residents are the agro-climatic conditions of India. and of these 60 million owned cat- now also used as draught animals in pref- The Danish Jerseys imported, adapted tle or buffalo, or both. When five help erence to the local hill cattle. successfully to the climatic conditions, so programmes which included the Jersey Making cattle for the local from the late 1970s India over three years breed, in 1999, were evaluated, it showed ­conditions imported more than 3,000 head of cattle to have been a most efficiently tool to from Denmark in addition to large quan- help the smallholders to increase the New breeds in the 1960s were developed tities of semen. productivity and to improve the genetic when at Allahabad Agricultural Institute In 1981-1982 500,000 doses of Jersey merit of their animals, to manage avail- Red Sindhi cows were mated to Ameri- semen were imported and distributed to able resources more efficiently, and to can Brown Swiss and Jersey bulls re- three states that already were crossbreed- assist local governments in developing spectively. The idea was to increase milk ing along Danish lines. A.I. centres were sustainable livestock strategies. yield of indigenous breeds. The results of established ca 1980 and frozen semen Crossing of Holsteins,  crossbreeding suggested that Red Sindhi stations placed at a radius of every 15 Jerseys and Gir x Jersey crosses had the most desirable miles so they could cater to all milk shed traits for Indian conditions. areas. In the centre of every small village In 2006 a new breed has been introduced These include small body size, better there was a chilling centre with modern to the public, named Phule Triveni. It is adaptability and high fat percentage. The bulk coolers. It was within walking dis- developed by Rahuri Krishi Vidyapith, Jersey crossbreeds between 3/8 and 5/8 tance for all villagers. Rahuri by crossing Holstein Friesian (50 have been interbred and named as `Jers- The milk was brought in cans to that per cent), Jersey (25 per cent) and Gir (25 ind’. Similarly, 3/8-5/8 Brown-Swiss x centre, was immediately tested for fat per cent). Red Sindhi crosses have been interbred electronically and then went into the bulk Studies on the milk yield of Phule and named as `Brown-Sind’. Jersind cooler. At a fixed time in the morning the Triveni animals revealed that the breed crosses gave milk yield between 1,557 cooler tank truck came, picked up the produces 19-34% more milk that other and 1,861 kg. in first lactation. milk and took it to one of the big dairy desi breeds under farm conditions. Phule The Jersind breed, however, has shown deterioration over the years mainly be- cause of small numbers and being con- fined to the Institute farm. (Source: e.g. FAO, Newsletters, Felius, 1995). Knowledge from Denmark  used in India Dr. V. Kurien was instrumental in raising the milk production of India from 1970 to 1981. His colleague Dr. A.S. Bindra spent many years in Denmark learning the dairy business and returned to India with perhaps one of the first shipment of Jersey cattle to go to India in recent times. Dr. Bindra was instrumental in found- ing the National Jersey Breeding Society of India, and he was also President of the Hindustan Livestock Sales Corpora- tion, a company that was deeply involved in the importation of Jerseys and Jersey semen into India and the whole South- East basin. On his initiative bull mother farms were established – at least one in each of the 22 states in India, to which Jerseys had been imported from all over In the late 1950s a project began crossing Hariana cattle with Brown Swiss, Holstein and the world – from Denmark, Australia, Jersey cattle as part of the ‘All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Cattle’.

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Triveni is resistant to major diseases such as foot and mouth disease, which affects several other breeds of cattle. The animals are 140-145 cm tall and may weigh 300-400 kg. The average life span is about 18 years, they yield about 10-12 litres of milk per day, and the milk has a fat content of 4.2-5.2 %. The animals are in milking stage for 10-12 months and are quite robust and strong. They are naturally disease resistant and better adapted to drought conditions than other `desi’ breeds and the animals may be fed on green and dry fodder. (Source: The Hindu, 2006) Producing bull calves for ­development programmes In India today there are seven Central Cattle Breeding Farms (CCBFs) located at Alamadhi (Tamil Nadu), Andeshnagar (U.P), Chiplima and Semiliguda (Oris- Half-bred Jersey x Hariana cow at Haringhata. sa), Dhamrod (Gujarat), Hesserghatta (Karnataka), and Suratgarh (Rajasthan). They are producing high pedigree bull * Gujarat: Gir, Kankrej - Selective breed- Grading up, with Gir, Tharparkar, Har- calves of indigenous and exotic breeds of ing in Gir and Kankrej; grading up, iana, Sahiwal and Ongole; cross breeding cattle and important buffalo breeds for non–descript breed with Gir and Kank- with Jersey and Holstein distribution to States for use in the cat- rej; cross breeding with Jersey and Hol- * Maharashtra: Non-descript cattle - tle and buffalo development programmes. stein-Friesian Grading up, with the breeds of the region The bull calves are produced from * Goa: Local cattle - Grading up, with Red and Hariana; cross breeding with Jersey Tharparkar, Red Sindhi, Jersey, Holstein Sindhi; cross breeding with Jersey and Holstein Friesian and Crossbred cattle, Surti and * : Non-descript breed - Grad- * Manipur: Local cattle - Grading up, Murrah buffalo breeds. The Farm at An- ing up, non–descript breed with Hari- with Red Sindhi; cross breeding with deshnagar and Chiplima are producing ana, Sahiwal, Tharparkar; cross breeding Jersey HF x Tharparkar crossbred and Jersey x with Jersey and Holstein-Friesian * Meghalaya: Local cattle - Grading up, Red Sindhi crossbred bulls respectively. * Himachal Pradesh: Local cattle - Grad- with Red Sindhi; cross breeding with The bulls and bull calves are for sale and ing up, with Hariana and Red Sindhi; Jersey distribution to the State Governments. cross breeding with Jersey * Mizoram: Local cattle - Grading up, * Jammu & Kashmir: Local cattle - Grad- with Hariana; cross breeding with Jersey Cattle Breeding Policy in different States: ing up, with Hariana and Red Sindhi; * Nagaland: Local cattle - Grading up, * Anhra Pradesh: Non-descript breed - cross breeding with Jersey with Hariana; cross breeding with Jersey Grading up, with Ongole, Tharparkar * Jharkhand: Local cattle - Grading up, * Orrisa: Local cattle - Grading up, with and Deoni cross breeding with Jersey and with Tharparkar, Hariana and Red Sin- Red Sindhi and Hariana; cross breeding Holstein; dhi; cross breeding with Jersey with Jersey and Holstein * Arunachal Pradesh: Local cattle - Grad- * Karnataka: Non-Descript cattle - Grad- * Punjab: Local cattle - Grading up, with ing up, with Hariana and Red Sindhi ing up, non–descript breed with Red Sahiwal and Hariana; cross breeding cross breeding with Jersey; Sindhi; cross breeding with Jersey and with Holstein Friesian and Jersey * Assam: Local cattle - Grading up, with Holstein-Friesian * Rajasthan: Non-descript cattle - Grad- Hariana and Red Sindhi, cross breeding * Kerala: Local cattle - Grading up, ing up, with Hariana, Gir, Tharparkar with Jersey; non–descript breed with Red Sindhi, and Rathi; cross breeding with Jersey * Bihar: Local cattle - Grading up, with Kangayam and Tharparkar; cross breed- and Holstein Friesian Tharparkar, Hariana and Red Sindhi; ing with Jersey and Holstein-Friesian. * Sikkim: Local cattle - Grading up, with cross breeding with Jersey; Crossbreds: Selective breeding with F1 Hariana; cross breeding with Jersey * Chattisgarh: Local cattle - Grading up, cross bred bulls obtained from progeny * Tamilnadu: Non-descript cattle - Grad- with Tharparkar, Hariana and Sahiwal; tested either jersey or Holstein bulls ing up, with ; cross breeding cross breeding with Jersey and Holstein; * Madhya Pradesh: Non-descript cattle - with Jersey Holstein Friesian

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Farmer in Nepal with a Jersey cross (left) in 1978.

number of crossbred cattle has been in- creasing ”day by day”, especially since the introduction of A.I. Nepal peasant woman with a 50% Jersey cow near Kathmandu, 1978. Pakistan * Tripura: Local cattle - Grading up, with maintained at government farms, pri- In Pakistan there are 22 million cattle in Tharparkar; cross breeding with Jersey marily the Ayrshire, Jersey and Friesian the country with a positive growth rate. * Uttar Pradesh: Non-descript cattle - in the hill country areas that have a high Although, more than half of the cattle Grading up, with Hariana, Sahiwal, dairy potential. In 1953 a crossbreeding population is non-descript, Sahiwal and Tharparkar and Red Sindhi; cross breed- programme was initiated at the govern- Red Sindhi, along with Cholistani are ing with Jersey and Holstein Friesian ment livestock station, Karagoda-Uyan- the distinguished dairy cattle breeds. In (Website: DEVELOPMENT OF IN- goda in southern Sri Lanka, where Sin- 2007 Pakistan numbered 58.8 million DIGENOUS COW BREEDS.-www. hala cattle were crossed with either Jersey cattle and buffaloes. Crossbreeding was love4cow.com/cowbreeds.htm) or Friesian sires. In another project at allowed at the Government livestock ex- Undugoda Farm in the central part of the periment station with Sahiwal, Red Sin- Sri Lanka had European cattle country Red Sindhi were mated to Jersey dhi, and Thari cattle breeds. 300 years ago sires. At Wiravila experiment station in As follow-up -in the mid 1970’s, more the dry zone Sinhala animals were first experimental studies were performed at The first attempts to introduce - temper mated to Red Sindhi sires to produce Government research stations using Frie- ate cattle into the tropics took place more females, and these were then crossed to sian and Jersey semen. Some Jersey cattle than 300 years ago. Thus the well-known either Shorthorn or Jersey sires. (Sourc- imported from USA were maintained at Hatton or Cape cattle in the hill country es: e.g. World Animal Revieww No. 15, Islamabad. This was followed by artificial in the central Sri Lanka are believed to be 1975. FAO, 1992) insemination of cows with private farm- descendants of European cattle brought ers at a large scale. to Sri Lanka by Dutch settlers from 1765 Bangladesh Fearing the increased use, cross breed- to 1815 and during the 19th century by ing of Sahiwal and Red Sindhi was the British. It is a combination of Eu- Bangladesh numbered in 2007 around 26 forbade and cross breeding was recom- ropean cattle which have become well million cattle and buffaloes. In 1973, 125 mended it for non-descript cattle com- adapted to the local climate. heads of Friesian and Jersey cattle were prising more than 2/3rd of the cattle The original ancestors included imported to Savar Dairy Farm from Aus- population. The major objectives of the among others Friesian, Shorthorn, Jersey tralia. breeding policy included improvement in and Ayrshire. In 1992 a survey failed to In 1998 the number of milking cows milk production of indigenous dairy cat- find any purebreds in the field. However were 3.79 million, which was 18% of all tle, and improving reproductive efficiency a few were thought to still exist in small cattle, in 1986 only 1.09% were cross- (Source: e.g. Country Report on Animal pockets in the hilly regions where there bred cows, but the average milk produc- Genetic Resources of Pakistan, 2002) is no A.I. tion of the indigenous cattle was too low Herds of European breeds were also compared to the crossbred cattle, so the

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The Middle East The Middle East in 1983, according to WJCB numbered 100,000 Jerseys. From 1926 onwards several Bos tau- rus breeds, including Friesian, Shorthorn, Jersey, and Guernsey, have been intro- duced to Egypt. The imported animals have been used both for establishing pure exotic herds and for upgrading of local stock. In 1928 three Jersey cows and a bull were brought to Assiut College in Egypt, as it was recognized that Egyptian Good Jersey crosses were a cornerstone in the A cross between Danish Jersey and a local clover, alfalfa and green corn fodder were development of the Indian cattle. Indian breed. perfect for dairy production. When bred with native cattle, the Jer- Turkey More countries in the ­ seys doubled milk production and gave Middle East farmers leeway to rotate crops, letting Turkey as well has been supplied with cotton-depleted soil rest while dairy cat- Jerseys. In 1959 a sample consignment of From Denmark among others, live ani- tle grazed. The bulls were bred in nearby six animals and in the years 1967 to 1971 mals and semen have been exported to villages through an extension program at Turkey received a further 1,625 cows and most countries in the Middle East, be- the school. This project ended by 1963. four bulls from Denmark. sides Egypt, Turkey and Iran countries But then the export probably stopped. as Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Much of the animals came to a state farm Bahrain etc. Karakoy Stud near the Black Sea. Kara- Thus Saudi Arabia received from Den- koy State Farm already had established a mark 204 heifers and 21 bulls in 1962-64. Jersey herd in 1958 with 25 heifers and And Lebanon 51 heifers in 1961-63. But 10 bulls imported from USA. unfortunately we only have a few records In 1962 and 1963 the herd was sup- available. plemented by a delivery from UK of 121 The United Arab Emirates dairy herds heifers and 3 bulls. English Jerseys was in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Fujairah con- exhibited in Izmir 1971 and planned to sist predominantly of Jersey cows and be sold to ordinary Turkish farmers. In “contribute to a national annual milk 1998 it is recorded that grade Jerseys are production which runs into thousands of the major cattle population in the Black tonnes. Cream, butter and yogurt are also Sea region of Turkey. (Sourches: e.g. produced”. WJCB, 1998)

Iran It is also recorded that the Jersey has contributed to the development of the Iranian Nejdi breed. ”Another local name for this breed is ”Arabi” and can be found in Khuzestan province in south-west of Iran. It comes in all colours. The main use is for food (Milk). Both males and females can be with (2) or without horns. They are sometimes humped. The origin of the breed is unknown but it seems that it is a composite of some breeds.” (Sources: e.g. Felius, 1995)

In 1971, Amir Ghali Altawil released a In 1992, Iran ordered 1,000 Jersey heifers guide for the care of Jersey cows in Arabic. from Denmark.

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