Proud of Banas “Kankrej Cow”

Kankrej cattle are also known as “Wadad” or “Waged”, “Vagadia”, “Talabda”, “Nagar”, “Bonnai”. It takes its name from the name of geographical area i.e. Kankrej taluka of Banaskantha district in Gujarat.

They are found in the area southeast of Rann of Kutch comprising Mehsana, Kutchchh, Ahmedabad, Kheda, Anand, Sabarakantha and Banaskantha districts of Gujarat and Barmer and Jodhpur districts of Rajasthan.

Kankrej, famously known as Guzerat in Brazil, is being maintained in large numbers as a pure breed in that country. The Guzerat was the most important breed in the formation of American Brahman. The unique characteristics like resistant to tick fever, heat stress, very little incidence of contagious abortion and tuberculosis made Kankrej a very popular one among these countries. Coat colour of the animal varies from silver grey to iron grey and steel black. In males, forequarters, hindquarters, and hump are slightly darker than the rest of the body. Bulls tend to get darker than cows and bullocks. The hump in the males is well developed and not as firm as in other breeds. Forehead is broad and slightly dished in the centre. Face is short and nose slightly upturned. Unique characteristic of this breed is its large, pendulous ears. The horns are lyre shaped. The cows are good milkers and bullocks are used for agricultural operations and road transport. The cows yield on an average 1738 kilo grams and a maximum of 1800 Kg of milk in a lactation. Selected cows have produced around 4900 Kg at village conditions.

Compiled by Animal Breeding Group, NDDB from Information System on Animal Genetic Resources of India (AGRI-IS)- developed at National Bureau of Animal genetic Resources, Karnal, Hariana, India. (However, As per bifurcation of states/ districts- revisions have been made)

Kankrej cattle are a breed of Zebu cattle from the district of Banaskantha in the state of Gujarat in Bharat, north of Mumbai on the west coast of Bharat. They are also known by the names Bannai, Nagar, Talabda, Vaghiyar, Wagad, Waged, Vadhiyar, Wadhiar, Wadhir, and Wadial.[1] Guzerat cattle are a breed developed in Brazil from Kankrej cattle imported from India. The name is a Portuguese spelling of Gujarat. They are, of course, very similar, both being tall draft/beef breeds with high horns. On the average, Guzerat are darker, bigger and have longer horns than Kankrej. The bulls usually are quite dark on the head and forequarters, lighter elsewhere. Guzerat and Kankrej are the principal breeds used in the formation of the American Brahman, along with the Gir and the Nelore. They show the usual advantages of Zebu cattle in the Tropics and Semi-Tropics, good heat tolerance and pest resistance.

Importance in India, Brazil and United State

In India this race is among the most importants(1). Guzerath is among the largest cattle of India and are prized in India as powerful draft animals and are moderate milk producers(1). In Asia, they are more created in the northern India(1).

In the United States, this race with the Nelore and Gir, are the three major Indian breeds that have had the most important impact on American cattle breeding(1). The Guzerat was the most important zebu breed for the formation of the American Brahman cattle(1). In the United States, pure guzeraths are rare, while they are common in Brazil and India(1).

In Brazil this race remains very common, but Nelore has complete dominance in beef cattle. Nellore has more than 80% of the Brazilian market for beef cattle. Guzerats must compete with Gir, Indo-Brazilian, Canchim, etc. for the 20% of the market left after the Nelore. Some millions of Guzerats are created in Brazil, against more than 100,000,000 of oxen with Nelore blood(2). Kankrej cattle has been important dual purpose breed of India. They have well adopted in North Gujarat. Banas Kankrej cattle which has been developed from Kankrej breed at Livestock Research Station, SDAU, Sardarkrushinagar has proved to be superior to crossbreds with respect to milk production and disease resistance <(Annual progress Report-2009, LRS, SDAU, Sardarkrushinagar, Gujarat

• Gujarat houses close to 69 percent of the Kankrej cattle population in India, out which 16 percent is in Banaskantha district. The native tract for Kankrej is north Gujarat region, which includes Banaskantha, Patan, Sabarkantha, Mehsana, Kutchh and Gandhinagar. Conditions are ideal for the Kankrej breed which could adapt to the extreme climatic conditions with temperatures soaring to as high as 45 degree Celcius in the summers and falling as low as 5 degree Celsius in the winter. The sub project would be implemented in the Banaskantha district having a breedable population of 1.81 lakh.
• AI infrastructure in the area of Banaskantha Milk Union is well established with 1200 AI centres of covering 1050 DCS
• Banaskantha Milk Union has experience of implementing Kankrej breed development program in field since 2003 and has registered 5112 cows and 2176 daughters born through the AI program in the project villages till 2010.
• Under NDP-1 PS Kankrej Project Implemented Since July 2012 and has registered 43923 Kankrej Cow , 6985 daughters born through this program and 2875 Animals under Milk Recording.
• Absence of systematic selection of males for production of next generation offsprings is the main reason for the low productivity of dairy animals in the country. The High Genetic Merit (HGM) breeding bulls contribute significantly to increasing genetic potential of their progenies for milk production. Therefore, production of HGM bulls for producing the next offsprings is the need of the hour to meet the growing demand for milk.

Promotion of Kankrej Breed

Banas Union takes following steps,

• 1. Union provide free of cost health care services to the farmers who are keeping Kankrej cow
• 2. Union also provide free AI services to the farmers and AITs reimbursement would be paid by union
• 3. We also sell HGM Kankrej Bulls to Gaushalas and farmers with token price of Rs. 5000/-, as the price decided by NDP-1 is rs. 50000/per HGM bull but our union give subsidy of rs. 45000/- per bull
• 4. We also provide free castration service for all breeds to prevent indiscriminate breeding
• 5. Under Kankrej Calf Rearing programme union provide 50% subsidy in Pregnancy Feed ( 180 Kg) , Calf Starter (225 Kg) , Growth Meal (1435 Kg) means total estimated cost of Concentrate feeding is Rs.47665/- out of this 50% would be bear by Union and 50% by farmer
• 6. Under Kankrej Calf Rearing Programme if calf under this programme will calved within 30 months ( AFC 30 Mo.) farmer will get additional Rs 5000/- as incentive and AFC will delay with every month the incentive will reduce rs. 500/- per month till 39 month
• 7. Under Productivity enhancement programme we provide incentive in terms of 350 kg Banas Cattle feed to the farmers if AFC is up to 40 mo. for Kankrej Cow.
• 8. We also procure Kankrej A2 milk and pay additional Rs.3/-per lt. of Kankrej A2 milk

Under NDP-1

• 1. Kankrej Cow under Milk Recording farmer will get Rs. 1338/- as incentive
• 2. AITs will get incentive for AI & Calving as Rs. 26 & 133 respectively
• 3. Milk Recorder Incentive Rs. 950 per completion of MR

Crucial amendments made in Cattle Feed Formulation as well as in terms and conditions of quality of Cattle Feed Raw Materials (chiefly Rice Polish Fine, D R Bran, Protein Rich Extractions, Grains - Maize) received during last two years have greatly facilitated to perk up the ordinary production pattern to one of the best; quantitatively (around 5-10 % rise achieved against rated/installed total capacity) as well as qualitatively i.e almost Uniform Quality Finished Goods with adequate Essential Nutrients & least Silica Content (on an average 01.50 %), we have manufactured during the time & provided to feed dairy herd of Milk Producer Members of "Banas" Milk Shed successfully without any complaint.

We have designed significantly affordable single variant of Mineral Mixture (Half Chelated) namely "Banas Super Min" bearing in mind need of whole herd of Banas Milk Shed in which merging of two different variants we had earlier have been arranged to avoid confusions among Milk Producer Members with reference to feeding Inorganic one or Organic one to their dairy animals. It has tremendously helped our dairy animals to improve their production quantitatively & qualitatively, also overall general health as well as reproductive performance.

Also, designed one more essential energy supplement (to correct negative energy balance in a most herd of Banas Milk Shed) namely "Banas Super Fat" comprising almost 99.00 % latest third generation Bypass Fat made out of Crude Palm Oil. Bypass Fat - 99 % has also been utilized as an alternative energy/oil source in a routine production during crisis experienced of "R P Fine" in the market.

We have planned & promoted the production of Cattle Feed - Species Specific, considering daily nutrient requirements of "Cow - Crossbred" as well as "Buffalo- Mehsani" and simultaneously implemented VAPs to create awareness regarding significance of feeding Species Specific Feed to dairy animals among Milk Producer Members of DCSs of Banas Milk Shed.

We have successfully installed 10.00 MTPD Mineral Mixture Plant at Cattle Feed Plant Premises, Palanpur and also, started regular production of "Bans Super Min" as per the requirement. Let us share that, we are the first among all other Five Unions who also have started installation of the MM Plant simultaneously at their individual location.We have utilized Old Scrap Conveyor available at our end with the help of departmental concerns only & by which, we have saved approximately 10.00 Lac Rupees per year.

We have organized and conveyed the date wise Cattle Feed Dispatch schedule to individual DCS to facilitate equal & necessary distribution of Cattle Feed

we have started utilization of 10 mm die (Pellet Mill) to produce CF which has helped us to improve/maintain the production consistently.