Nimari, is a native Indian cattle breed found in the Nimari tract of Narmada valley, comprising the districts of Barwani, Khargon, Khandwa and parts of Harda in the State of Madhya Pradesh. The border of Kharone district towards Khandwa, Indore & Dewas also has a thin population of the Nimari cattle. Some of these animals are also found in the Jalgaon district of Maharashtra.

Nimari is a dual purpose breed and is considered as the “Biological Engine of Nimari”. It is an active breed, primarily used in draught work and agricultural operations. They are occasionally used for the purpose of transportation. The cows of this breed are known to be average milk yielders.

Characteristics:

• They are red in colour with splashes of white on various parts of the body.
• In the Khamgaon strain the color is occasionally black or light red and white while in the Khamla strain, it is red with a violet tinge and white or yellow and white.
• The animals are well-proportioned, compact, medium sized and muscular.
• The head is moderately long with a slight bulging forehead.
• They carry the head alertly, giving them a graceful appearance.
• They have a long body with a straight back and generally prominent hips
• The ribs are moderately arched and the quarters drooping to some extent.
• They possess hardiness and agility and are aggressive in temperament.
• The horns usually emerge in a backward direction from the outer angles of the poll, turning upward, outward and finally inward.
• At times, the horns are copper-coloured and pointed.
• The ears are moderately long and wide.
• The muzzle in many of the animals is either copper or amber in colour.
• The average body length is 127 cm in males and 113 cm in females.
• The average body height is 132 cm in males and 114 cm in females.
• The average body weight is 390 kgs in males and 339 kgs in females.
• The skin is fine and slightly loose.
• The tail is long and thin with the black switch reaching to the ground.
• The hooves are strong and can stand rough wear on stony ground.
• The hump in the bulls is well developed and sometimes hangs over.
• The dewlap and sheath are moderately developed, though the sheath has the tendency to be pendulous.
• The cows of this breed usually have well-developed udder.
• The average milk yield is 767 Kg per lactation and average milk fat is 4.9%.

With the launch of the Rashtriya Gokul Mission, the Union Government has focused its attention on the conservation and development of the ‘Desi’ breeds which includes the Nimari breed of cattle. Also, noteworthy establishments are:

1. The National Programme for Bovine Breeding (NPBB) which focuses on Field Artificial Insemination (Al) Net work with the objective of conservation of the indigenous breeds through establishment of breeders’ associations and societies.
2. The National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD) which focuses on development of infrastructure at grassroots by providing financial and technical assistance for production, procurement, processing and marketing by milk unions/federations.

As you are aware, our Surabhivana Gaushala continues to make steady progress towards this national movement of conserving our ‘Desi’ breeds.