CHAPTER 2
KEYNOTE ADDRESS

by

M. S. Swaminathan
Deputy Chairman
Planning Commission
New Delhi, India

2.1 Introduction

I would like to compliment FAO and UNEP on this initiative in getting together some of the leading experts in the world in the area of animal genetic resources conservation. Interest in the conservation of plant genetic resources has tended to be more widespread thanks to the demonstration of the scientific and economic significance of such conservation by N. I. Vavilov about 60 years ago. Consequently, an International Board for Plant Genetic Resources is now functioning under the aegis of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. The establishment of IBPGR has led to the identification of priorities and action programmes in the collection, conservation and evaluation of plant genetic wealth in a systematic, scientific and sustained manner.

In most of the developing countries, the livestock sector occupies an important place in the national economy. In countries like India, mixed farming involving crop-livestock integration has been a way of life since the beginnings of agriculture. Also it is now widely realized that this is the only method of providing additional income and employment to the small farmers and landless labour families. In fact, a great challenge before animal production experts in countries like India is the standardization of technologies which will help landless labour families to derive economic benefit from a land-based occupation like animal husbandry. Obviously this will call for high stability systems of stall-fed farm animal management. Socio-economic motivation becomes essential for generating the requisite political and public commitment to conservation particularly in poor nations where there are many competing demands for the limited resources available. While soil erosion attracts attention since it is visible to the eye, the erosion of valuable genes in animals and plants tends to get ignored until a disease epidemic, or some other production problem for which genetic solution is necessary, crops up.

Since my experience has been confined to the agricultural economy of India, I shall deal with the question of animal genetic resource conservation in the context of its socio-economic and scientific significance to India,

2.2 The Role of the Livestock Sector in Income and Employment Generation in India

The livestock sector is an important allied sector of crop production in the Indian economy. According to the National Accounts Statistics, the gross value of output from this sector at constant 1970-71 prices was equivalent to about 5 billion US$ in 1977-78 and accounted for 16.3 percent of the total gross value of output from agriculture and allied sectors. The output from this sector recorded a steady rise during the eight years ending 1977-78, registering an overall growth of 24 percent at constant prices. Table 2.1 gives the trend during the eight years.

The share of livestock in the agriculture and allied sectors increased from 15.4 percent in 1970-71 to 16.3 percent in 1977-78 with the highest record of 17.6 percent in 1976-77.

The livestock sector provides gainful employment to a large work force. The 1961 Census which attempted a comprehensive coverage of workers enumerated 3.84 million workers in this sector constituting 2.04 percent of the total work force. The 1971 Census emphasized only the main activity in the enumeration of workers and thus yeilded work force figures not comparable to the 1961 Census. Adjusting for this deficiency, the work force in this sector in 1971 is estimated at 4.31 million showing a rise of 12.2 percent in the decade. The distribution of work force by broad industrial divisions including livestock sector for 1961 and 1971 (adjusted) may be seen in Table 2.2.

According to the "Techno-economic Feasibility" report on Operation Flood II Dairy Project, the development of dairying activity would give productive employment to more women in rural areas. The report says that when Operation Flood II is fully implemented, year-round gainful employment will be made available to nearly 1.85 million people. The extent of labour intensiveness of dairying may be gauged from the assessment that while both the local cow and buffalo generate about 131 and 135 man-days of work per year, the crossbred cow and upgraded buffalo generate nearly 242 and 232 man-days of work per year, respectively. This underlines the need for appropriate genetic upgrading of the milk yield potential of local breeds.

The National Commission on Agriculture (NCA) in India observed that next to crops, animal husbandry has the largest employment potential in rural areas. Further, this sector can make significant contributions to promoting re distributive effects on income in favour of weaker sections. The sector has large in-built potential for generating indirect employment in several ancillary activities like manufacture of livestock feed, fabrication of dairy and poultry equipment and animal-based industries concerning hides, skins, bones, wool, bristle, etc. The N.C.A. has estimated that between 1972 and 2000 AD, the sector will have generated an additional direct employment of the order of 10 million person-years. As part of an exercise to predict employment generation during 1978-83) we have estimated that during 1977-78 gross output of value of one million rupees at 1978-79 prices in this sector implied productive work of the order of 234 "to 261 standard person-years (of 273 days). This ranks among the top 8 sectors out of the 89 sectors into which the whole economy is divided in the context of exercises relating to the generation of opportunities for gainful employment.

The economically weaker sections of the population prefer to supplement their income through livestock activities. This is highlighted in the findings of a survey conducted by the NSSO during 1970-71 in rural India. Roughly half of the households reported possibilities of supplementing income and among them 92 percent indicated livestock activities. Table 2.3 presents the details:

 It is thus obvious that well-conceived farming systems based on animal husbandry programmes can make valuable contributions to achieving the triple goals of higher and more stable income, more opportunities for gainful employment and specific attention to the economic well-being of those living below the poverty line.

2.3 The need and scope for the conservation of animal genetic resources

India is a vast sub-continent extending north-south between latitudes 8 and 38⁰ N and east-west between longitudes 68° - 99° E. Consequently the country has regions lying in the tropical, sub-tropical and temperate zones. The agro-climatic variations range between extremes in respect of soils, temperature, rainfall, etc. Widely varying climatic zones occur, such as the high altitude Himalayan regions, the Indo-gangetic plains, hot arid zones in Western India, the Deccan Plateau in the south and the hot humid coastal areas. There are, therefore, a variety of plants combinations and livestock of different types and productivity and adaptability. Because of these widely varying agro-ecological conditions and the consequent different demand requirements of man from livestock such as work, food and clothing, the farmers of the country had developed over centuries by sheer intuition and experience, a number of superior types and breeds of domesticated livestock, namely cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, etc. The special regions of the country such as the alpine zones in the Himalayas and the lower hilly areas of the north-eastern region have rare species of livestock such as the yak and mithun which are used as beasts of burden and as sources of food and fibre. These breeds and types of livestock have considerable adaptability to local climatic environments and stress of food and fodder constraints and have acquired considerable resistance to tropical diseases. They are also considered to be best suited to contribute to the economic benefits of the farmers in their respective home tracts.

Under the five-year development plans, efforts have been continuously made to improve the type and productivity of different breeds of livestock and poultry. In view of the necessity of effecting rapid improvement in the productive capacity of cattle and buffaloes for milk, poultry for eggs and sheep for wool etc., breeders have taken recourse to the introduction of exotic germ plasm into the indigenous stock. The breeding systems adopted for various species include selection and crossbreeding among indigenous breeds and direct introduction of exotic breeds and crossing of exotic and local breeds. Consequently, livestock with many different genetic combinations are progressively being produced. Such rapid changes in the genetic structure of the indigenous livestock population could lead to a gradual diminution and even ultimate disappearance of some of the adopted livestock. If this happens, future generations will be denied the fruits of thousands of years of natural and human selection. No systematic efforts had been made in the past to ensure collection and conservation of animal genetic resources. This has assumed all the greater urgency in recent years, due to large nationally and internationally supported animal breeding projects initiated in many developing countries.

The task of conservation of livestock is obviously a more complex problem than conserving plant genetic types. The breeds and the different genetic types of indigenous livestock are found scattered over different geographic locations varying in agro-ecological and socio-cultural conditions. These are also maintained either in organized farms or as a component of mixed farming system by different categories of farming communities. The groups of these animal types also undergo continuous change in the genetic structure through natural selection or as a result of planned breeding programmes. It may also be necessary to identify individuals, families, groups, types and breeds of specific genetic importance. The programme of work would broadly fall under two main functions, namely:

An important function of any conservation organization (e.g. a national bureau) would be the cataloguing of information and exchange of breeding material. It would be necessary to formulate criteria and parameters in respect of quantitative and qualitative character­istics in order to enable the identification of individual herds and flocks of superior genetic stock. This should be followed by documentation of the required information in regard to identity of herds. Such information will have to be processed through punch card system and computer analysis. The national bureau naturally will have to maintain national and international liaison with institutions connected with similar work. The | bureau would be basically the centre for information on available information, regarding the genetic resources of superior types/breeds of animals in the country. As regards the exchange of material, it has to be mainly in the form of exchange of breeding animals particularly on the female side and frozen semen. A National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources on these lines is being set up in India by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (see Bhat, Chapter 8).

2.4 A synoptic survey of the animal genetic wealth of India

(a) Cattle: Some well-developed breeds/types of cattle have been evolved over generations by the professional cattle breeders in different parts of the country. The Royal Commission on Agriculture drew particular attention to the remarkable powers of endurance of the Indian cattle and their resistance to tropical animal diseases, especially the tick-borne protozoan infections.

There are about 27 breeds of cattle which have been recognized and classified into milk, dual-purpose and draught types. Under the successive five-year development plans increasing emphasis is being laid on augmenting milk production in the country to narrow the gap between the availability and demand for milk. Breeding for milk production has been recommended in the milk-shed areas that could be conveniently linked to urban market centres. This is being attempted through planned crossbreeding of local cattle with exotic dairy breeds. As crossbreeding programmes are progressively extended to cover more and more areas the problem of its impact and possible adverse effects on production of quality draught animals for agriculture and other purposes arises and has to be solved.

The role of cattle as the main source of motive power for agriculture and certain allied operations would continue to be almost as important as meeting the requirements of milk in the country. There is need also to improve the work efficiency of bullocks through improved breeding and feeding practices. Several parts of the country also do not offer favourable environments for production of highly specialized dairy animals. In such areas improvement of cattle has to be brought about either by selective breeding or through grading-up using improved breeds from other regions of the country having similar environmental conditions. Zebu cattle are considered as the most productive types found in the tropics. Breeds that show promise for selective breeding or grading-up are Haryana, Tharparkar, Kankrej, Gir and Sindhi. Herds of selected good specimens of these breeds are being developed where breed improvement is attempted through farm-level progeny-I testing systems.

Recently, in the search for improved indigenous milch types of cattle the Rathi breed of Rajasthan has been identified. These animals have the hardiness to thrive under adverse conditions and are yet capable of economic levels of milk production. Attempts have been made to collect good specimens of Rathi animals and maintain and breed them in herds under I better conditions in the private and public sectors.

There are also a number of highly specialized draught breeds, like Nagori, Amritmahal, Hallikar and Deoni whose breeding for production of draught bullocks is a specialized economic enterprise with the cattle breeders in their respective breeding tracts.

Zebu cattle of India are in great demand in countries like Brazil for development of beef breeds. Some attempts have been made to identify and catalogue information on some of the indigenous breeds through Herd Book Projects. These attempts should be properly organized and supplemented through a bureau for preservation and promotion of these breeds not only for local use but also for promotion of export either in the form of livestock or frozen semen from selected superior bulls.

(b) Buffalo: In all countries where domesticated buffaloes are found, they are valued as triple purpose animals for milk, work and meat. In spite of the fact that the contribution of the buffalo to the agrarian economy is quite substantial, this species had remained neglected till the recent past.

The buffaloes in India are mostly of the Riverine type, though in southern India they have the Swamp as well as River characteristics. High producing Indian breeds of buffaloes have been introduced in other countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Viet Nam and Bulgaria. Though the I.C.A.R. has described characteristics of sevel breeds, there are a number of other breed/types in the different parts of the country. Breeds like Hurrah, Nili/Ravi are popular in the country and abroad for their high milk production. There are some medium-size milch breeds like Surti and Mehsana which are increasingly used for up-grading nondescript buffaloes in some parts of the country. Other breeds have been developed as suited to the needs of villagers. A typical example is the Bhadawari buffaloes in U.P. The local people prefer buffaloes of black colour and milk yield with high fat content. Bhadawari buffaloes yield about three to four kilograms per day with a fat percentage that may go up to as high as 13. Their milk is, therefore, highly suited for ghee making as the common village practice is to sell ghee to supplement income. It is also believed that males of this breed can stand heat better and can be used for draught.

Buffaloes in India have been mainly evolved with consideration of milk production characteristics. It appears necessary to develop the buffalo not only for milk production but also for production of quality meat as the potentialities for developing a market for buffalo meat both within the country and abroad are really large. A number of other countries are interested in using Indian breeds of buffalo for developing their buffaloes for meat.

There is already increasing demand for buffaloes from India from many countries. A buffalo germ-plasm pool and a bureau as a clearance house of information and agency for exchange/supply of breeds material in the form of stock of frozen semen are becoming increasingly necessary.

(c) Sheep: In India there are about 40 million sheep and India ranks sixth among the countries of the world in sheep population. There is a wide variation in the types of sheep found in the different parts of the country. Based on agro-climatic conditions and the types of sheep found in different zones, sheep raising tracts in India can be divided into three district regions, namely:

1. the northern temperate region where sheep produce medium to fine wool
2. the north-western dry region with sheep producing mostly coarse carpet quality wool, and
3. the southern peninsular region where sheep are primarily of meat type and a majority of them carry coarse hairy and coloured fleeces.

In view of the large gap existing between the requirements and availability of wool for the different sectors of the woollen industry, namely, carpet manufacture, woollen and worsted yarn in organized industry, Khadi and woollen manufacture, and the cottage industry, breeding programmes have been taken up envisaging crossbreeding with exotic wool breeds or dual-purpose breeds, selective breeding among indigenous sheep and grading-up of nondescript sheep with improved indigenous breeds.

In the Kashmir valley, Merino type sheep have been developed - the so—called Kashmir Merinoes. In the northern region, there are breeds such as Chokla and Kali in Rajasthan and Patanwadi in Gujarat which have been identified as suitable for crossbreeding for production of wool of Merino level.

India produces carpet wool rated among the best in the world but still Indian carpet wools lack lustre and strength. The approach for carpet-wool sheep improvement has, therefore, a two—pronged objective, namely, to improve quality and to increase quantity of the fleeces. Some of the good Indian carpet breeds are Marwari, Jesselmeri, Pugal and Magra and breeds of sheep in Gajarat other than Patanwadi. In the southern peninsular region, there are some good-quality mutton-type sheep, like the Mandya, Nellore, Madras Red, etc. Selective breeding among these breeds and crossbreeding of these sheep with exotic mutton breeds have shown promise. In view of the existence of a large number of specialized indigenous breeds best suited for carpet wool and mutton production and evolution of new breeds of sheep suited to the tropical areas with capacity for improved wool and mutton production, there is need for an organization, which could identify and catalogue information which will be of use for preservation of the indigenous types and development of newer varieties of sheep.

(d) Avian Resources: India is considered to be the homeland of the red jungle fowl from which all poultry stocks have been evolved. The red jungle fowls are still abundant in some hill areas. Several other varieties of indigenous fowls are seen, particularly in tribal areas.

The introduction and large-scale multiplication of breeds of chicken from developed countries have gradually resulted in the depletion of indigenous genetic types of poultry which are prized for their hardiness and resistance to diseases, flavour of meat, etc. which are lacking in the present-day elite high productive breeds. Indigenous or desi poultry are well knozn for their adaptability to local agro-climatic environments, though of lower productivity. They are good breeders, foragers and efficient mothers, characteristics essential for raising of poultry under village conditions. The meat qualities are considered superior as local poultry meat is not only delicious but also considered to be of medicinal value in some breeds.

A good example of desi checken is the Aseel noted for its pugnacious qualities, high stamina, majestic gait, dogged fighting qualities, meat quality and mothering instincts. Systematic studies on the economic merits of indigenous breeds of chicken are scanty. In recent years, use of improved breeds from abroad has relegated desi birds to remote rural areas. From among imported varieties, random-bred control strains, inbred lines and high production strains have been developed. The country is also heading towards self-sufficiency in production of quality chicks both for egg production and poultry meat. Basic poultry breeding programmes are in progress and have started giving tangible results.

The time has come to take simultaneous efforts to creating a germ—plasm pool of Indian poultry stocks, native to the country and those recently evolved.

(e) Yak; Yaks are an important species of domesticated animals kept in high altitudes for transport, milk, hair and meat. Very little is known about these animals outside their habitat. In India yaks are found in Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Yaks are generally found along the snowline moving up during summer and moving down during winter. Yaks can thrive on grasslands at high altitudes where other species of livestock, except perhaps sheep, are unable to thrive. In these limited areas where yaks are still found they play an important role in the economy of local people. In some places yaks are considered indispensable. Yaks will continue to be valuable animals for local people in inhospitable, underdeveloped and difficult regions where other productive type of livestocks are unable to thrive. Yaks are also maintained for crossing with cattle as the crossbreds are not only well adapted to high altitudes like the yaks but they are better adapted than yaks to lower altitudes. The females of such crosses are fertile and yield more milk than the yak female. The male crossbreds are infertile and therefore can only be used for work and meat.

There has been a progressive and marked decline in the numbers of yaks in India which may be attributed to the non-availability of alpine pastures during winter months due to the closure of borders and incidence of diseases due to lack of adequate veterinary cover. There is a need to preserve and multiply yaks and make systematic studies on improvement of the species and production of crossbred progeny.

(f) Mithun: The mithun is a ruminant resembling domesticated beef cattle. Mithuns are sure-footed animals and can thrive well in hilly terrain. They are confined to the north-eastern hilly states of India. It is estimated that there are abojut 95,000 mithuns in Arunachal Pradesh, 17,000 in Nagaland, 8,500 in Manipur, and 500 in Mizoram. The mithun has an important place in the economy and social life of tribal population in these areas. They are given as bride price and are used as media of exchange due to lack of traditional currency; they are also used as a measure of the status of the person in the community.

Mithuns are usually kept under semi-wild condition, mainly depending on various types of forest vegetation. The mithuns are poor milk yielders but the meat of mithuns is considered a delicacy by the tribal people. They are used for crossing to cattle to produce crossbreds for milk production and draught purposes.

It has been observed that mithun population is declining over the years due to lack of attention to breeding, nutrition and disease control. In view of the important place of mithuns in the rural economy in the tribal areas the declining number has to be checked and the trend reversed. Survey on trends of population, identification and classification of types and conservation of mithuns deserve priority attention. A project has been recently taken up by the ICAR for the establishment of a National Research Centre for yaks and mithuns to conserve and carry on research investigations on these two species of animals. Such efforts should be supported by the Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources in the area of survey, classification and conservation.

2.5 Conclusions

Conservation is an area where scientific efforts will have to be supported by social and political consciousness and action. An outstanding example of the power of such a synthesis is seen in what happened at Leningrad during World War II. The Vavilov All-Union Institute of Plant Industry which has a very rich collection of germ-plasm of wheat, potato, etc. continued to grow the collection during the war. These were apparently the only crops growing in the area. Leningrad's besieged citizens were suffering from acute hunger. A large number died due to starvation. But It is to their great credit that noone stole grain or potatoes from the fields or gene bank of the Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry. This is the richest tribute that could be rendered to the life and work of Vavilov and to the spirit of conservation. It is this kind of social commitment to the conservation of genetic resources that scientists should help to generate. The World Conservation Strategy launched this year under the overall leadership of the Inter­national Union for Conservation of Mature lays great stress on the preservation of genetic variability in all living organisms. Without people's involvement, this will not be possible. I, therefore, hope that at this FAO/UNEP Technical Consultation on Animal Genetic Resources Conservation and management, we can consider not only the scientific aspects of our work but also the methods of generating public participation in the conservation movement. In our legitimate concern for assuring food for today we should not forget to conserve and direct resources for the benefit of the generations yet to be born. I would like to suggest for this purpose a 3-tier organizational framework which will:

1. help national governments/organizations to develop an appropriate institutional framework for the conservation, classification and utilization of animal genetic resources;
2. promote regional gene banks for specific farm animal species, e.g. buffalo in west and south east Asia (these can be designed on the model of the Scandinavian gene bank in plants at Lund) and
3. organize for each major farm animal species an International Working Group to support and stimulate scientific and sustained conservation work.

Without ecological security designed to protect and to conserve fauna and flora, soil and water and the macro- and micro-environment, sustained agricultural advance will not be possible. Hence, ecological security provides the foundation upon which alone the enduring global food security system which FAO is trying hard to bring about can be built.