Livestock Breeding Policy

OBJECTIVES

• To augment production of milk, eggs, chicken meat etc and increase availability of animal proteins in human diet.
• To encourage livestock production through small holders with low input system.
• To expand organized dairying through synergisation of co-operative and private sector efforts with a focus on quality and hygienic control.
• To increase production of quality carpet and coarse wool
• To enhance participation of women in livestock development programmes
• To encourage conservation of animal bio-diversity and protection of indigenous breeds of livestock and poultry while restricting cross breeding to low producing stock.
• To promote avenues for export of livestock and livestock products
• To control and eradicate communicable animal diseases pests
• To augment feed and fodder resources for sustaining livestock and increasing production.

Breeding Policy for Cattle and Buffalo

• States would be encouraged to review their respective breeding policies for different livestock species. Species-wise breeding programmes will be fine-tuned and implemented for faster growth in production.
• Selective breeding of defined indigenous breeds of cattle having high milk yield, and those with excellent draft abilities, will be promoted to improve their production and reproduction potential.
• Efforts will be made to import semen of these breeds if necessary, to avoid/reduce inbreeding.
• Intrusions of crossbreeding in their defined breeding tracts will be avoided.
• Cross-breeding of non-descript and low producing cattle with high yielding exotic breeds suitable for respective agro-climatic conditions, will be encouraged in selected areas having adequate facility for feed and fodder and marketing facilities etc.
• Upgradation of non-descript and low producing cattle with defined indigenous breeds in resource deficient areas and the breeding tracts of defined indigenous breeds would be encouraged.
• Buffalo development will aim at improving milk production and to hasten growth, maturity and proliferation.
• Selective breeding of established native breeds, and upgrading low producers through breeding with defined high milk yielding breeds will be undertaken.
• Cross-breeding of non-descript buffalo population with improved indigenous breeds will be considered, where appropriate.
• Production of breeding males having high genetic potential will be an essential element of the breeding policy for each species and breed.
• Formation of breed associations by involving farmers for improvement of indigenous breeds of various species and identification/registration of animals having good genetic potential would be promoted
• There is a need to focus on the hitherto neglected natural mating system and to produce quality disease free high genetic merit bulls for natural service through implementation of massive pedigree selection and progeny testing programmes.
• For the purpose of cross-breeding, semen of progeny tested bulls would be used as far as possible.

Breeding Policy for Sheep and Goat

• Policy will aim to improve growth, body weight, reproductive efficiency, meat and wool quality and quantity, and to reduce mortality.
• For sheep breeding also an area specific approach shall be adopted for effecting qualitative and quantitative improvement in carpet and coarse wool and developing fine wool.
• Breeding of sheep and goats will aim at increasing body weight, reproductive efficiency and control of mortality, besides improvement in milk yield in goats.
• Main focus will be on selection of rams and bucks and their distribution with backup by suitable programs.
• Artificial insemination would also be encouraged. Cross-breeding with high yielding exotic and other native breeds of goats will also be considered.

Breeding Policy for Pigs

• This will focus on improving growth, prolificacy, quality and quantity of meat produced, survivability and utilization of low cost locally available feed and managemental conditions.
• While efforts will continue to conserve some of the meritorious indigenous breeds of pigs in their defined local tracts, crossbreeding with high yielding, disease resistant exotic breeds will be encouraged, with maximum 50% level of exotic germplasm in crossbreeding.

Breeding of Yak and Mithun

Would be supported in high altitude agro climatic regions for preservation and further development through selection, and where necessary, through crossbreeding with exotic germplasm.

Breeding of Equines

Breeding of horses, mules, and donkeys would be promoted to produce high quality stock for draft power and sports purposes. Selective breeding of indigenous breeds and cross breeding, where necessary, will be considered.

Breeding of Camels

It will aim at improving their desert specific draft power, milk production, disease resistance and sports traits. Breeding of Double hump camel in high altitude areas would be supported with import of semen to minimize otherwise high chances of inbreeding.

New Technologies for Livestock Breeding

• Newer breeding and reproductive technologies, including those involving biotechnology and genetic engineering/genetic marker technology developed from time to time, will be adopted for faster implementation of various breed improvement programmes and for increasing production.
• Efforts will be made to develop semen sexing technology to provide greater choice regarding breeding to farmers.

Conservation of Animal Bio-Diversity

• Indian breeds of livestock and poultry are essentially the products of long term natural selection and are better adapted to tropical fodder, environment and diseases, and perform under low and medium inputs.
• Some of these breeds are suited to particular agro-climatic conditions of the country.
• Some of these breeds have useful genes for fast growth and prolificacy. Such utility genes and breeds would be identified, conserved and utilized for breeding and research.
• The focus would be on conservation of indigenous breeds of livestock and poultry.
• Pastoral communities, particularly those managing migratory animals like buffaloes, sheep, goats, yaks etc. shall be supported through creation of facilities along their migratory routes for feeding, breeding, healthcare, housing, and market channels for their produce and animals .
• Indigenous knowledge of pastoral communities about animal maintenance and breeding would be documented with active involvement of communities, breeders’ associations, gaushalas and NGOs.

http://dahd.nic.in/sites/default/filess/NLP%202013%20Final11.pdf

This document can be assesed to read more about the breeding policy, 2013