Indigenously Developed Synthetic Cow Breed Karan Fries Registered

Context: At an event organised by the ICAR–National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBAGR), Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan presented the registration certificate for Karan Fries—an indigenously developed, high milk-yielding synthetic cow breed known for both productivity and hardiness. In total, 16 new livestock/poultry breeds and varieties were registered, taking India’s total number of registered livestock and poultry breeds to 246.

About Karan Fries Cow Breed

• Type: Synthetic (stabilised crossbred) dairy cattle breed
• Developed by: National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal (Haryana)
• Breeding programme: Developed through crossbreeding of:
  • Exotic Holstein Friesian (HF) bulls (globally recognised for high milk yield), and
  • Indigenous Tharparkar zebu cows (known for hardiness, heat tolerance, and resilience)

Key Features of Karan Fries Cow Breed

1) Milk Production Potential

• Average yield: ~3,550 kg per lactation (approx. 10 months)
• Performance of best animals:
  • Up to 19 kg/day (commonly reported best specimens)
  • Peak yield: 46.5 kg/day
• Comparative productivity (general reference points):
  • Many indigenous cattle breeds: ~3–4 kg/day, usually 1,000–2,000 kg per lactation
  • Exotic breeds (under favourable management): ~8.12–9 kg/day
  • Karan Fries: nearly twice the milk potential of most indigenous breeds in India (on average)

2) Physical and Adaptive Traits

• Coat colour: Typically black and white
• Hump: Absent
• Climate suitability: Strong adaptability to hot and humid subtropical conditions

3) Present Status and Distribution

• Currently reared largely by farmers in Haryana districts including: Karnal, Kurukshetra, Panipat, Kaithal, Jind and Yamuna Nagar

Significance of Development of Karan Fries

• Demonstrates strong genetic potential under Indian management conditions.
• Achieved breed stabilisation after:
  • Several generations of inbreeding (breeding within the population),
  • Continuous genetic monitoring, and
  • Scientific selection for stable traits.
• Why stabilisation matters:
  Breed stabilisation indicates that Karan Fries has moved beyond the limited variability of early crossbred generations (e.g., F1) and has become well-adapted to Indian agro-climatic conditions—making it a potential foundation stock for systematic crossbred cattle improvement across regions.

Other new Livestock Varieties Registered

1) Synthetic/Composite Cattle Breed

• Vrindavani: A high-yielding synthetic cattle breed developed by the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh).
  • Composite breeding: Exotic breeds (Holstein Friesian, Brown Swiss, Jersey) combined with indigenous Hariana cattle.

2) Indigenous Cattle Varieties

• Medini (Jharkhand)
• Rohilkhandi (Uttar Pradesh)

3) Buffalo

• Melghati (Maharashtra)

4) Goat Breeds

• Palamu (Jharkhand)
• Udaipuri (Rajasthan)

5) Mithun

• Nagami (Nagaland)

6) Poultry and Waterfowl Varieties

• Mala Chicken (Jharkhand)
• Ducks:
  • Kodo Duck (Jharkhand)
  • Kudu Duck (Odisha)
  • Kuttanad Duck (Kerala)
  • Manipuri Duck (Manipur)
  • Nagi Duck (Assam)
• Goose:
  • Rajdigheli Goose (Assam)

7) Sheep

• Avishaan: Synthetic sheep breed (Rajasthan)

Registration Process of New Livestock Varieties

• ICAR launched the mechanism for “Registration of Animal Germplasm” in 2007 to create an authentic national documentation system for India’s sovereign animal genetic resources with known and verified characteristics.
• Nodal agency: ICAR–NBAGR, Karnal is the national nodal body for processing and maintaining registration records.
• Apex body: Breed Registration Committee (BRC)
  • Chair: DDG (Animal Science), ICAR
  • Permanent members: ADG (AP&B), ADG (IP&TM), Animal Husbandry Commissioner (or nominee), National Biodiversity Authority representative, and Director, NBAGR.
• What gets registered? Indigenous breeds, synthetic breeds, strains/lines, and other recognised animal genetic material.
• It is the sole nationally recognised mechanism for animal genetic resource registration, aiding conservation, breed improvement, and creating a sense of ownership among local communities that developed these breeds.

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