Gir Cow Breeding
How institutional research and on-farm selection have shaped the modern Gir herd.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) runs two projects on Gir cattle. The first, executed by the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR), is for conservation of the breed: characterising it in qualitative and quantitative traits, studying molecular genetic characteristics, developing breed descriptors, and conserving the germplasm of elite animals.
The second, run by the Project Directorate on Cattle (PDC), targets genetic improvement — testing and selecting bulls, and supplying superior germplasm to other development programmes.
Under the All-India Coordinated Research Project (Cattle), Gir has been crossed with exotic breeds to develop a crossbred strain suitable for Indian environmental conditions. Young Gir bulls are progeny-tested by the Animal Husbandry Department.
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