NOW MALNAD GIDDA, A UNIQUE CATTLE, IS A RECOGNISED BREED

Its happy news for farmers, veterinarians and those who work for the conservation and promotion of Malnad Gidda, a dwarf variety of cattle breed native to Malnad region that it has got the national recognition now, thanks to the efforts of National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) Principal Scientist Dr. K P Ramesha and his team. With the constant efforts of Dr K P Ramesha and his team, the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR), a unit of Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) has approved and registered Malnad Gidda, known for its adaptability and resistance to many diseases, as a cattle breed (Breed Accession No. ‘INDIA-CATTLE-0800- MALNADGIDDA-03037) in June 2012.

The process of breed recognition starts with characterization which includes both phenotypic and genotypic. Phenotypic characterization means- details of external appearance like body colour, horn pattern, presence of humps, etc. genotypic features are identified based on production traits like milk production, fat percentage, and reproductive traits- age at first calving, inter-calving period, and growth characters like birth weight and body length. This also consists of biochemical and molecular studies.

Dr Ramesha and his team have extensively studied both phenotypic and genotypic traits of Malnad Gidda. After submitting the documentation and data analysis reports, the NBAGR, a nodal agency for breed characterization in India, scrutinized it and submitted to Breed Recognition Committee. After thorough reviews, quarries and microsatellite studies, Malnad Gidda was found to be distinctly different from other dwarf breeds like Vechur, Punganur and a few dwarf breeds of Assam.  

About Manlad Gidda

A large number of poor households from resource-poor areas with difficult agro-climatic conditions in Western Ghats derive their livelihood through livestock agriculture. The word Malay means hilly, Naadu means place (Malay+Naadu= Malnad means a place receiving heavy rains) and gidda means small or dwarf. The breed is very adaptable to the local agro condition of the western ghats. As per the 2007 livestock census, there are 12,81,493 Malnad Gidda cattle (http://www.karunadu.guv.in/ahvs-webiste/breedingspolicy.html) distributing predominantly in Malnad region and costal districts of Karnataka like Shimoga, Chikmagalur, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada and some parts of Hassan and Kodagu. They play  a major role in rural economy as every household in these districts have Malnad Gidda cattle for agriculture, milk and manure purposes with little maintenance cost.

Weighing around 80-120 kg, these cattle are similar, but shorter and smaller than Vechur breed of Kerala and Punganur of Andhra Pradesh. Though they are just 3 ft or so height, they are so active and lively with an extraordinary power of endurance and resistance to diseases and could jump 6-ft height fence very easily. In Malnad, no special care is given to these cattle. In some places, the dung and urine is not cleared regularly. Instead, farmers spread green leaves on the floor every day as bedding material over dung and urine and it is cleared twice in a month which forms good quality of compost manure.

As mentioned, they are left for grazing since morning till evening and during nights, they are fed with small quantity of paddy straw, spear grass and green grass. . Some farmers feed a traditional concentrate mixture called maddi (horsegram chunni, broken rice, oil-cake and rice flour) at the time of milking of the animals. There are five major colours in these animals like black, brown, red, fawn and white, sometimes mixture of any two but black colour is prominent.

Malnad Gidda cows calve for the first time at the age of around 3 years and give milk for 8-9 months.  The bulls are often unselected and underfed, are unable to render quality breeding services. They are regular calvers with a calving interval of 14-15 months.  The average milk production of these cattle per day is 1.5 litre. Some cows give 3-5 litre of milk per day which fulfills the daily need of a family. With suitable selection of these animals coupled with scientific management practices it is possible to develop small sized cattle thriving on low input regime and giving 3-4 liters of quality milk per day with adaptability to heavy rainfall conditions. Bullocks are used for ploughing, thrashing and carrying goods.

These are reared under low input system. Some areas it is zero input system where animals sustain solely on grazing. Animal genetist Dr. Sosamma Iype, who pioneered the  revival  of  the  Vechur cattle  at  Kerala Veterinary and  Animal Sciences University (KAU),   pointed out  that  these  native cattle (Bos indicus) have evolved to cope with the climate and withstand diseases, parasites and give birth to calves easily without human assistance. These dwarf animals have good resistance to foot and mouth disease and mastitis.

Threat

More inclination towards anti-indigenous drive across the country over decades after White Revolution gained momentum forced the farmers in this region to lose interest in Malnad Gidda cattle. Interestingly, cross breeding for high yielding of milk, castration of scrub bulls, lack of grazing places and encroachment of Gomalas for growing commercial crops are the main reasons for the decline in population. The livestock census figures show a drop of 24.94 per cent in total cattle population between 2003 and 2007.

Benefits

The disease resistance capability of this indigenous breed is considered to be very important in the present context of characterization, utilization and improvement of the breed. Upon recognition original Malnad Gidda germplasm can be conserved and utilized for future need. Farmers could get good quality animals as the breeding strategies are made according to the need. Artificial insemination facility could be available. Researchers could be engaged in preserving the superior germplasm and improvement of the breed, as the projects are approved by the ICAR only for the recognized breeds. The breeds like Amruthmahal, Hallikar, Krishna valley, Khilari and Deoni of Karnataka have already been recognized. They have conservation and research stations in the state.

Karnataka Livestock Development Agency (KLDA) has supported Dr Ramesha’s ten-point programme for conservation and improvement of this Malnad beauty by providing financial aid of Rs 70 lakh for constituting a project through which selection of pure breed cattle, procurement of breeding bulls for collection of semen, karyotyping (process used to improve the progeny) would be taken up.

Government support

Now, the Central Government has funded Rs 17000 crore to National Dairy Plan (NDP) to work on identified indigenous breeds across the country. Apart from this, the Karnataka government has given Rs 1 crore to the Karnataka Veterinary University for research on Malnad Gidda cattle breed and this work would be taken up by the Shimoga Veterinary College.

State-level workshop on Oct 26 and 27

An awareness & training program is organized by Malenadu Gidda Samvardhana Sangha, Veterinary Department and Western Ghats Task Force at Talaguppa in Sagar taluk of Shimoga district on October 26 and 27, 2012. Raghaveshwara Bharati Swamiji of Ramachandrapur Mutt, Western Ghats Task Force president Ananth Hegde Asisara, MP BY Raghavendra, MLAs and others would participate in the workshop in which more than 1000 Malnad Gidda stock holders from all seven districts will participate. Seminars and Malnad Gidda cattle exhibition will also be held on the occasion.

Inputs: Dr Nagaraj KM