Manda buffalo of Odisha gets national recognition
Bhubaneswar(Kalinga Voice) : Manda buffalo, seen in the hill ranges of Eastern Ghats and plateau of Koraput region in the state, got registered at the national leve with the accession number ‘INDIA_BUFFALO_1500_MANDA_01019’ to become the 19th recognized buffalo breed in India. Manda buffalo is native to Odisha and having an isolated breeding tract and geographical distribution to hill ranges of Eastern Ghats and plateau of Koraput region .
This buffalo germplasm was first identified by the fisheries and animal resources development (FARD) department in collaboration with the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT). After conducting a detailed survey, the findings were sent to the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) for recognition of the indigenous unique buffalo- Manda at the national level.
After this registration, the state and the Centre will make efforts to conserve this unique buffalo genetic resource of Odisha and enhance their productivity through breeding strategy. The governments will help in marketing the produce- milk, curd and ghee at a premium price resulting in the improvement of the livelihood of the stakeholders in the native tract.
The survey was conducted in 2009 under the leadership of Sri Bishnupada Sethi, the then Director of animal husbandry and veterinary services and Susanta Kumar Dash, professor in animal breeding and genetics, OUAT.
Manda buffaloes are native to Odisha and have ash grey and grey coat colour with copper colour hairs. The lower part of their legs up to the elbow is light-colored with copper-color hair at the knee. Some animals are silver-white in colour.
These sturdy buffaloes are small-sized. People use both male and female buffaloes for ploughing and other agricultural operations in the native tract of Koraput, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts. These animals are resistant to parasitic infection and less prone to diseases and can live, produce and reproduce at low/nil input systems. Around one lakh buffaloes of this breed are there in the state. Besides the agricultural operations, these buffaloes contribute to the family nutrition of households for generations. The average milk yield of these buffaloes is 2 to 2.5 litre in single milking with more than eight percent fat. However, a few of those yields up to four litres.
These buffaloes mature at around three years and drop the first calf at around four years. Every 1.5 to 2 years they give birth to a calf for the whole life of around 20 years, Already two buffalo breeds (Chilika and Kalahandi), four cattle breeds (Binjharpuri, Motu, Ghumusari and Khariar), and one sheep breed (Kendrapada sheep) have been registered at the national level before. Binjharpuri cattle semen production and use through artificial insemination is a remarkable achievement in the country in the field of the conservation process, said an official from the FARD department
