Director's Message

India is endowed with rich livestock wealth consisting of 536.8 million livestock and 851.8 million poultry (BAHS, 2023) and contributes significantly to the Gross Value Addition of the economy. Since time immemorial, the livestock rearing remained as one of the most important economic activities in the rural areas of the country supporting food security and livelihood. The importance of livestock sector has further increased as can be observed from the steadily increasing annual growth rate of around 6% at constant prices, contribution to the Indian Agriculture and Indian Economy with a share of about 30.47% in Agriculture & Allied Sector's GVA and 4.75% in the country's total GVA, respectively.

The livestock wealth in the form of diverse Animal Genetic Resources (AnGR) of the country contributes food security and livelihood to ecosystem services, besides intimately associated with social, economic and cultural fabric of the country. ICAR-NBAGR, established in 1984, being the primary institution entrusted with noble task of documentation, identification, characterization, conservation, training and policy development related to Animal Genetic Resources will continue to execute its mandated activities with full vigour towards achieving zero non-descript AnGR in the country.

Presently, 229 indigenous breeds of livestock and poultry have been characterized, recognized and accorded distinct breed status. The 229 indigenous breeds have been notified through eight Gazette Notifications of Government of India. It is estimated that about 46% of the AnGR has only been characterized in the form of breeds and rest of the animal population remains as non-descript. The presence of diverse species with unique genotypic and phenotypic characteristics and sizable admixture population with varied animal rearing practices distributed across agro-climatic zones of the country makes the documentation, identification, characterization and conservation a mammoth task. Indigenous breeds, known for heat tolerance, disease resistance and thriving on low input system. Since the livestock sector will continue to play a major role as one of the drivers, the characterization and conservation of AnGR becomes the primary step to achieve the Amrit Kaal goals by 2047.

Besides, characterization and recognition of indigenous breeds, ICAR-NBAGRs supports in situ conservation of the germplasm, engaging the primary stakeholders at field level. The ICAR-NBAGR also maintains National Gene Bank for ex situ conservation of germplasm.  A total of 3.32 lakhs of frozen semen belonging to 7 species, 63 breeds and 613 males are stored in the National Gene Bank repository. Additionally, somatic cells belonging to 130 indigenous livestock and poultry breeds have been cryopreserved so far, including cattle (33), sheep (24), goat (22), pig (10), buffalo (9), camel (10), horse (6), donkey (4), yak (1), mithun (1) as somatic cells and poultry (9) as primordial germ cells. More than 80% of at-risk indigenous livestock breeds have been conserved, including 4 of 5 critical, 16 of 19 endangered, and 12 of 14 vulnerable category breeds.

ICAR-NBAGR is intimately associated with National Livestock Census of India in the preparation of census modules and training. ICAR-NBAGR will remain engaged with all the stakeholders the National (Government Departments, National Biodiversity Authority farmers, farmer organizations etc.) as well as international level to implement Global Action Plan of the FAO to meet SDG, Amrit Kaal goals and other commitments. ICAR-NBAGR is the nodal point for monitoring of SDGs targets 2.5.1 and 2.5.2. There are several challenges such as diminishing resources to support livestock numbers, while increasing production and productivity to ensure food security for increasing human population and climate change which can endanger AnGR of the country.

ICAR-NBAGR appreciates the contribution of DAHD, Government of India, Governments of all the States/ UT's, SAUs/CAUs/VU and ICAR institutes, livestock keepers, farmer organizations and others in the essential, resource intensive task of documentation, identification, characterization and conservation of Animal Genetic Resources of the country