By Dr Indresh Kumar Pandey
‘Badri’ is a native breed of cow found in the mountainous region of Uttarakhand. It derived its name from the holy shrine of Char Dham at Badrinath. This breed is generally small in size with an average weight of 200-250 kg. Their legs are long, hump is high, neck is short and wide. Their strong hooves are suitable for grazing in the mountainous region. They always look alert. Due to their small size, less space is required for maintenance. The climate of areas with an altitude of 1500 meters above sea level is suitable for Badri cow.
In Uttarakhand, the Badri breed of cow is commonly known as ‘Pahadi gai’. ‘Badri’ is the only cow breed of Uttarakhand which has been genetically characterised. Badri cow is the first certified breed of Uttarakhand which has been given accession number INDIA-CATTLE-2400-BADRI-03040 by ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal. According to the information obtained from some scientific research studies, the fat content in the milk of Badri cow is 8.4% which is much higher than other breeds of cow and almost equal to buffalo milk. At present, when the whole society is getting attracted towards organic food products, the demand for the products of Pahadi cow is also increasing. Ghee extracted from the milk of Badri cow is being sold by e-commerce companies at the rate of 4-7 times of normal desi ghee. In the mountains, only the milk of Badri cow is considered sacred for worship and only Badri cow is donated in cow donation. The main food of Badri cow is the vegetation of mountains and meadows which also includes various types of medicinal plants. This is the reason why the quality of various products of Badri cow is so high. Biochemical study of Badri cow’s blood shows that there is seasonal change in it. The speciality of Badri cow’s milk is that it contains A2 beta casein protein in significant amount which is also beneficial in hormonal diseases. Whey made from Badri cow’s milk also contains high amount of calcium. Studies related to developing immunity by using cow urine of Badri breed have also shown positive results. Cow urine of this breed is rich in antibacterial and anti-diabetic properties. According to some research studies, Badri cow’s milk contains 90% A2 beta casein protein which is the highest among the milk of all indigenous breeds. Efforts are also being made to conserve and promote the Badri breed of cow in Uttarakhand. The milk productivity of the Badri cow is very low and it can give only 1-3 litres of milk in a day. Efforts are being made for genetic improvement by sex-sorted semen and embryo transfer technology to increase their milk production capacity.
The Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM) and National Kamdhenu Breeding Centre (NKBC) are some important efforts to promote the breed. In the year 2012, the Badri Cattle Breeding Centre was established in Nariyal village of Champawat district for the conservation of Badri cow, which currently has many cows of this breed. This centre aims to standardise the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of the breed and improvement in the potential of milk production. Badri cow’s milk is also considered very beneficial for cancer patients. Its milk is light yellow, easily digestible and beneficial for people of every age group. This cow has some physical characteristics due to which it can survive in low temperatures and can also climb mountains easily. In today’s era, the problem of lactose-intolerance and casein-allergy is found in abundance in small children, due to which the newborn has to be deprived of milk. This milk is also considered very beneficial for these children. Antioxidants and butyric acid are found in Badri cow ghee. Along with this, omega-3 fatty acid, conjugated linoleic acid in sufficient quantity and vitamin K2, A, E are also found. Due to all these chemical components, Badri cow ghee is very beneficial for health and provides immunity from many diseases.
In the scriptures, Kamdhenu obtained from Samudra Manthan is said to fulfill the various needs and considered as symbol of prosperity. Similarly, Badri cow can make an important contribution in the development and prosperity of Devbhoomi. Since this breed has a very high immunity, the cost of animal husbandry is also very low, and its products are highly beneficial. High profit can be earned by increasing awareness among the people and branding-marketing the products like Badri Ghee, cow urine extract and Panchgavya. The present era is a major period of cultural renaissance of India when the general public is becoming aware of cultural heritage. Cow is a major pillar of Indian culture which has been fulfilling various needs of daily life. By conserving and promoting Badri cow, we can strengthen Devbhoomi Uttarakhand by incorporating economic development with cultural upliftment.
(The Author is Assistant Professor at Government PG College Karnprayag, Chamoli)
