On 14th January (Sunday), Prime Minister Narendra Modi fed and cared for some cows at his official residence at Lok Kalyan Marg on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. In the viral pictures, PM Modi can be seen surrounded by many cows and showing affection to Gaumata. Notably, all the cows seen with PM Modi are from a specific breed, a breed of dwarf cows.
Delhi | Prime Minister Narendra Modi feeds cows at his residence, on the occasion of #MakarSankranti pic.twitter.com/UnijjBGk6O
— ANI (@ANI) January 14, 2024
The cows seen at the Prime Minister’s residence are of the Punganur breed, an indigenous breed of India, found in Andhra Pradesh.
The Punganur breed of cows was once on the brink of extinction, and conservation efforts ongoing
The breed originated in Punganur town in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. This Punganur cattle breed derived its name from the village Punganur in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh where the breed is mainly bred. Punganur is one of the world’s smallest Bos indicus cattle. The average height of a Punganur is 70-90cm (2.3-3 feet) and it weighs 115-200kg.
The milk of the Punganur cow has a rich medical benefit and higher fat content which may range from 5 to as high as 8 percent while that of other breeds it ranges between 3 to 3.5%, therefore it is ideal for producing ghee. The average milk yield of the breed is 546 Kg per lactation.
The body colour ranges from white, grey, or light brown to dark brown or red. Additionally, there are instances where animals display a combination of white color with patches of red, brown, or black.
The Punganur breed of cows has a broad forehead and short horns. The horns are crescent-shaped and often lose curving backwards and forward in males and lateral and forward in females. It is a highly draught-resistant breed and can survive on dry fodder feeding. The Punganur cow is quite sturdy and resistant to diseases in the South Indian environment. It also has high adaptability to low-quality feed and can survive in adverse conditions and environments.
The breed is quite docile, and the bullocks are used for agricultural operations in light soil as well as for driving carts for transportation and special races. Punganur cattle’s dung and urine are rich sources of fertiliser and pest controllers for organic farming.
The Punganur cow is also eco-friendly in nature, since the requirement for water and feed along with space and the shed is quite less as compared to other larger breeds of cattle. Therefore, it produces lesser amounts of methane gas.
Verge of extinction and revival attempts
However, the Punganur breed which is often claimed to be a poor man’s cow was on the verge of extinction due to extensive indiscriminate crossbreeding for years in its breeding tract. Due to popularity of hybrid breeds which can be milked multiple times a day, dairy farmers had started to abandon this breed of cows. The situation had deteriorated to such an extent that at one point the known number of Punganur cattle had dropped below 50.
But thanks to some conservation efforts they are slowly making a comeback. Through Mission Punganur launched in 2020, attempts are made to rescue and revive the breed at Livestock Research Station, Palamaner, under Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University. Several sheds in Andhra Pradesh are now dedicated to propagating the cow breed.
Mission Punganur aims three to four-fold increase in the reproductive efficiency of the cows. The project envisages the production of at least 8.5 off-springs from each cow in five years compared to 2.5 off-springs during the same period from each cow under normal circumstances. Rapid multiplication of the superior females through Embryo Transfer Technology (ETF) are being done.
The state govt is using the In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) method to increase the reproduction of the Punganur cows. Govt is also introducing genome technology and vaccination of the cows at AP Centre for Advanced Research on Livestock (APCARL) located at Pulivendula in Kadapa.
The breeding region is limited to the taluks of Punganur and neighbouring areas like Vayalpad, Madnapalli, and Palamaner in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. It is primarily managed at the Livestock Research Station in Palamaner, Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, affiliated with Shri Venkateswara Veterinary University, Tirupati. Additionally, certain animals are cared for by private breeders.
It is said that the original Punganur breed of cows was born in the Vedic period during the time of Vishisht and Vishwamitra sage. With climate change and change of place, the height of the Pungnur cow increased. Earlier the height of Punganur was 2.5 to 3 feet which was called the Brahma breed.
Reportedly, there were 302 breeds of cows in ancient times which has come down to around 32 breeds of cows across the country.
Pongal depicts the emotion of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’: PM Modi
Additionally, on 14th January, PM Modi attended the Pongal celebrations at the residence of Union Minister of State (MoS) L Murugan in the national capital. He participated in the offerings and the cultural programs organised there. He also gifted his shawl to a young girl who performed during the Pongal celebrations.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Telangana Governor Tamilsai Soundarajan were also present at the event. At the event, PM Modi started his address in Tamil and quoted saint Tiruvallur on Pongal. “The festival of Pongal depicts the emotion of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’…This emotion of unity will give strength to the ‘Viksit Bharat’ of 2047,” the PM said.
