Tharparkar is an important dual-purpose breed originating from the THAR desert of Rajasthan. The home tract of this breed is in the Tharparkar district of southeast Sindh in present day Pakistan. In India, these animals are now found along the Indo-Pak border covering western Rajasthan and up to the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat.
Tharparkar is a lyre-horned type of zebu cattle and seems to have originated from a mixture of the Kankrej, Red Sindhi, Gir and Nagori breeds. Tharparkar cattle are usually kept in herds of 50 to 300 animals by professional breeders as they require daily contact with people to prevent them from becoming shy and wild.
It is interesting to note that a move has begun to popularize the Tharparkar breed. Sixty Tharparkar cattle heads, including fifty cows, from the desert belt of Jaisalmer has been dispatched to the drought-prone districts of Tamil Nadu. These have been bought by the State Animal Husbandry Department at Jaisalmer and are being raised at the cattle farm at Chettinad. The animals, known for their drought resistance, have adapted to the dry climatic condition of Chettinad.
“Even in the extreme dry condition at Thar desert in Rajasthan, the cows look hale and healthy and yield an average of 7 to 8 litres of milk per day. The climatic condition in Tamil Nadu is better than Rajasthan. The cattle are hardy and resistant to many diseases and they can withstand the heat in summer too,” says K.S. Vijaya Kumar, Assistant Veterinary Surgeon, Animal Diseases Intelligence Unit, Sivaganga.
This new initiative is part of the National Agriculture Development Programme to increase the population of Tharparkar cows in a fast manner. Cow Care. Org wholeheartedly support this movement.
At Chalo Nirvana Jain Panjarapol we have 3 of this breeds.
