Mewati or Mehwati, is a dual-purpose indigenous cattle breed belonging to the Alwar and Bharatpur districts of Rajasthan, Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, and Faridabad and Gurgaon districts of Haryana. Mewati cattle are mostly found in the Mewat tract, but the breed is sometimes called Kosi, due to the large numbers of this breed being sold from the market at Kosi, a small town in the district of Mathura.

Mewati cattle are known to have the Hariana and Gir blood in their composition. There are traces of influence of the Kankrej and Malvi breeds too. Also since the native habitats of the Rath and Nagori cattle are adjacent to Mewat, these two breeds are also said to have contributed to the formation of the Mewati.

The Mewati are generally sturdy, powerful and docile. The bulls are known for their strength and endurance and are hence used for agricultural and carting purposes as well as for drawing water from deep wells. The cows are said to be good milkers.

Characteristics:

• The cattle are almost universally white in colour with the rare occurrence of brown shades. Their neck, shoulders and quarters are of a darker shade while the muzzle is pitch black in colour.
• The face is long and narrow with the forehead slightly bulging.
• The horns are small to medium in size. They emerge from the outer angles of the poll, and turn backwards at the points. The tips are pointed.
• The eyes are very prominent and are surrounded by dark rims.
• The ears are pendulous but not so long.
• The muzzle is wide and square and the upper lip thick and overhanging, giving the upper part of the nose a contracted appearance.
• The head and neck show an upright carriage.
• The neck and the whole frame are strong though the limbs are light.
• The chest is deep, though the ribs are flat.
• The legs are fine and round with strong, somewhat large hooves, well-rounded in shape. They are relatively long giving the body-frame a loosely built appearance.
• The sheath is loose though not pendulous.
• The dewlap is hanging but not very loose.
• The tail is long, the tuft nearly reaching the heels.
• The cows usually have well-developed udders.
• The milk production per latation is 958 kgs while daily yield is 5 kgs per day.

Like the other Indian breeds the Mewati have good adaptability to extreme climatic conditions and can easily withstand environmental stress or diseases. However, in the recent years, the population of all this breed has gone down considerably and the situation is alarming.

As is the case in all other Indian breeds, the primary factors contributing to this sharp decline are adoption of crossbreeding for enhanced milk productivity, mechanization of agricultural operations diminishing the utility of bullocks, shrinking of common grazing land and several other factors.