SAHIWAL IN KENYA AND PAKISTAN

J. Hodges1/

1. The Sahiwal cattle are an international animal genetic resource able to contribute to many developing countries.
2. Their ability to survive, produce and reproduce at medium levels of milk per lactation in tropical conditions makes them a valuable option to consider for crossing with lower producing indigenous breeds in the developing countries or for breed substitution.
3. The countries with the largest populations are Pakistan (about 10 000 purebred animals), Kenya (about 2500 purebred animals) and India (about 2000 purebred animals).
4. Many other countries have crossbred Sahiwal cattle, either produced from indigenous breeds or from black and white temperate cattle. The demand for these types of animals is increasing, shown by the growing demand for semen under the FAO semen donation scheme.
5. The population of Kenya has recently been studied by a graduate student of the Kenya Government who has analysed the records from the Sahiwal stud at Naivasha from a genetic angle.
6. FAO is currently supporting a similar genetic analysis of the Pakistan Sahiwal kept for many decades on the government livestock stations. This is being undertaken under contract for FAO by the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council in cooperation with the Swedish Agricultural University.
7. It is hoped that the analyses of the Kenya and Pakistan populations may be combined at a later stage, in order to identify the genetic differences, if any.
8. It is also hoped that a rational basis for using the limited numbers of this breed for the benefits of both the home countries and the importing countries may then be developed and be the means of accelerated genetic improvement.

^1/ Animal Production Officer, (Animal Breeding and Genetic Resources), Animal Production and Health Division, FAO, Rome.