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National Dairy Development Board
Part III :
Cattle and buffalo Breeds
Karnataka has six indigenous cattle breeds of which the Deoni cattle breed is the only dual breed. Deoni
male animals are used for ploughing and transportation, whereas cows yield up to 1,500 kg of milk per
lactation. As the state does not have any prominent milch breed, the dairy farmers use crossbred cattle
for milk production.
The balance five registered breeds are Amritmahal, Hallikar, Khilari, Krishna Valley and Malnad Gidda
which are draught breeds. Themale animal of these breeds is excellent for ploughing and transportation,
whereas cows are poor milk yielders with an average milk yield of less than 500 kg per lactation. These
animals are sturdy and can with stand adverse climatic conditions. Historically, Amritmahal cattle
was used by Nawab Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan for carrying ammunition into the battlefield on rough
roads and across difficult terrains. Both Amritmahal and Krishna Valley breeds are being considered for
conservation under recently launched ‘Rashtriya Gokul Mission’.
Pandharpuri buffaloes are reared mostly in northern Karnataka. The breed is popular due to rapid
reproductive ability. Normally, this buffalo yields 6-7 liters of milk per day. But under goodmanagement,
the yield can go up to 15 liters.
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