India News | Maha: Aurangabad Varsity Undertakes Genomic Analysis of Native Cattle Breeds

Aurangabad, Feb 11 (PTI) The zoology department of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University (BAMU) here has undertaken a project of carrying out the genomic analysis of the cattle and goat breeds native to the region in order to know their characteristics, an official said.

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The project has been initiated by the divisional commissioner office in Aurangabad and Rs 1.69 crore have been sanctioned for the exercise for four years, he said.

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"The native breeds of Red Kandhari cow, Devni ox and Osmanabadi goat will be studied under this project. This will help in identification of their basic characteristics and ultimately in saving them," the official from the university said on Thursday.

Head of the zoology department Dr Gulab Khedkar said, "Red Kandhari cows, Osmanabadi goats and Devni oxen have been providing financial support to the farmers in the region. Red Kandhari cows and Devni oxen have a history of nearly 650 years and 250 years respectively. However, over a period of time, the basic characteristics of these breeds have undergone a change. We can see that in terms of the milk giving capacity of these cows and change in their pigmentation, among other things."

"As part of the project, we will collect the samples for their genomic analysis. After studying them, we will be able to save the pure breeds of the Marathwada region," he said.

Vice Chancellor of BAMU, Dr Pramod Yeole, and that of Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth (VNMKV) Parbhani, Dr Ashok Dhawan, have assured their help in the project, he added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)