LIVESTOCK GENETIC RESOURCES IN BANGLADESH:

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LIVESTOCK GENETIC RESOURCES IN BANGLADESH
PRESERVATION AND MANAGEMENT A.K.F.H.
Bhuiyan Department of Animal Breeding Genetics,
Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh
2202, BANGLADESH, Email fbhuiyan_at_royalten.net.bd
Introduction Livestock- an integral part of
farming system Utility - Draft power,
manure for crop production food (milk, meat
eggs) for human consumption exchange thorough
export of hides and skin employment and
income as a saving to poor households
Population Size 23.40 million cattle, 0.82
million buffalo, 33.50 million goats, 1.11
million sheep, 138.20 million chicken and 13.0
million ducks
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Contribution of Livestock in National Economy
Production, Requirement and Deficits of
Livestock Products
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• Production System
• Most animals raised by small scale farmers
• Subsistence farming system covers nearly 85
• Rest is high input-output system
• Management system -both tethering and scavenging
• Little inputs for breeding, feeding health care
• Some facts
• Scarcity of breeding males at village level
• AI service available in Bangladesh for cattle
  only
• Sound national breeding policies have never been
  formulated and implemented
• Good growth of commercial broiler and layer
  farming
• Largely depends on germplasm importation
• Indiscriminate crossbreeding program (cattle,
  chicken and duck)
• Neglect on indigenous livestock genetic resources
  
• A number of indigenous breeds / types are under
  threat

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• Genetic Resources
• Bangladesh is rich in domestic animal genetic
  resources
• Common species -cattle, buffalo goat, sheep,
  horse, pig, chicken, duck,
• geese pigeon
• Dog and cat-found all areas of the country
• Elephant, deer, tiger, gayal (Bos frontalis)
  in special forest areas
• Indigenous breeds / types constitute major
  portion
• Indigenous types possess many positive qualities
• Adaptability to harsh climate, poor nutrition and
  easy or no care
• management system
• Resistance to local diseases and parasites
• Suitability to subsistence farmers economy
• Less productive compared to improved breeds/types
  
• Wide variation exist among all indigenous AnGRs
• Exploitation of exotic germplasm cattle, chicken
  duck
• No sustained policy pursued to maintain
  continuous improvement

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• Cattle
• 90 are Indigenous called Deshi type
• Crossbred mainly found in government, private
  institutional farms
• Six government and 29,649 private sector dairy
  farms (of variable sizes)
• Exotics used Hariana, Tharparker, Red Sindhi,
  Sahiwal, Holstein Friesian, Jersey
• The AI infra-structure can cover only 25 cattle
  of the country
• NGO has started cattle AI business
• Subsistence dairying is the major objective
• Policy for developing indigenous dairy types /
  varieties
• Red Chittagong, Pabna, Madaripur, Munshigong
  North Bengal Grey
• Red Chittagong most promising but declining
  rapidly
• Buffalo
• 0.82 million heads
• 95 are indigenous river swamp type
• 120 heads of Nili-Ravi 40,000 heads of
  crossbred
• The purebreds maintained in only one Govt.
  buffalo Dev. Farm
• No AI services in the country (govt. or private)

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• Goat
• Used for meat and milk.
• Native breed Black Bengal - high prolificacy,
  quality skin tasty meat.
• The coat color, black, black white, brown,
  brown and white white
• Jamnapari - bigger sized breed
• Five Govt Goat Dev. farms maintaining only Black
  Bengal goats
• No government AI services in the country
• Sheep
• Mostly indigenous non-descript type
• Concentrated in Noakhali, Rajshahi Tangail
  districts
• Farmers maintain larger commercial (meat) flocks
• No government AI services in the country
• Total 19 rams imported in 1965, 1976 and 1984
  from Pakistan (Lohi),
• New Zealand and Australia (Romney Marsh, Suffolk,
  Parendale).
• Garole sheep are found in Sundarban area in the
  southern part of Bangladesh.
• Reputed for multiple births contributed to the
  Boorola Merino strain of Australia

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• Pig
• Little attention to pig
• Majority of population (Muslim) dont keep pigs
  for religious reason.
• The cobbler, sweeper, Christian tribal
  community people raise pigs
• Size of national pig population is unknown
• Nearly all pigs in Bangladesh are indigenous
• Kept under nomadic or grazing condition
• One government pig farm in the country
• Average litter size of native pigs is 4-8 pups
• Chicken
• 80 non-descript indigenous type called Deshi
• Kept as scavengers by rural households
• Deshi chickens are medium sized (1.0-1.2 kg)
• Are poor producers
• 32 government poultry farms
• Private commercial production has expanded
• Dependent on continuous importation of baby
  chicks
• Importation from various countries and sources

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• Duck
• Considerable part of poultry population in
  Bangladeshi
• Large proportion of these are indigenous Sylhet
  Mete type
• Dual purpose, medium sized
• Flock size of 2-6 ducks.
• Larger flock sizes are seen - in the riverine
  part
• Four government duck farms in the country
• Imported - Khaki Campbell, Indian Runner,
  Jhending
• Status of Genetic Resource Development Activity
• Has been inadequately addressed by government
• Animal recording system is yet not well-organized
  even at government farms
• In the private sector it is almost absent.
• Sporadic attempts starting back to 1930 -to
  upgrade improve
• Initiative for cattle started from undivided
  Bengal period
• Importing Indian and Pakistani improved breeds of
  cattle
• In 1973 national crossbreeding program through AI
  launched
• Result sizeable population (10 of total) of
  crossbred with dairy emphasis
• Crossbreeding initiative for chicken through
  cockerel exchange program1980-1986

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• BAU activity from 1960s
• Cattle and goat AI
• Goat crossbreeding
• Chicken crossbreeding
• Sheep crossbreeding
• Development of animal recording and genetic
  evaluation system
• Collaboration with ILRI and USDA on-going
• Human capacity
• BLRI activity
• Established in 1984.
• Lacks sound AnGR development work
• Lack of trained personnel
• Karyotyping cattle and buffalo
• Crossing cattle with gayal (Bos frontalis )
• Maintaining an inbred herd of 40 Pabna cattle
• Black Bengal goat flock
• Participation in Global Breeds Breeding
  Activity

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According to SoW the cattle genetic resources in
Bangladesh are

• Native
• Pabna
• Red Chittagong cattle
• Munshigang
• North Bengal Grey
• Crossbred cattle and
• Exotic breed (Holstein Friesian, Sahiwal, Sindhi
  and Jersey)
• According to SoW the national cross-cutting
  priorities are
• Establishment of coordination system for
  livestock development programs
• Breed surveys, population size estimation, risk
  assessment and characterization
• Formulation of national breeding policy of
  different AnGRs
• Economic evaluation of AnGR and resource uses
• Breed diversity assessment and improvement
• Developing system for regular recording and
  evaluation of performance data of AnGR
• Strengthening livestock research and development
  (R D) and technology transfer system
• Strengthening of livestock production extension
  services
• Training and development of human resources
• Ex-situ conservation of germplasm

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• The objectives of NPDAD are
• i) Optimization of economic benefits from
  sustainable utilization of FAnGRs
• ii) Ensure long term food security of the
  nation
• iii) Increase economic production of animal
  protein
• iv) Maintain and conserve AnGRs for the
  present and future generations
• v) Enhance scientific and technological
  knowledge
• vi) Educational and socio-cultural values of
  domestic animal diversity and
• Nii) Emphasize bio-safety considerations in the
  development and
• application of animal biotechnology in
  line with ethical and religious needs
• On-going Programs
• Government Artificial Insemination (AI) and
  Embryo Transfer (ET) Project
• Objectives
• Production of high productive animals
• Increase the number of quality breeding bulls as
  well as quantity of semen
• Familiarize and encourage AI activities at grass
  root level
• Practice embryo transfer technology in the
  nucleus herd at CCBS
• To establish a nucleus herd at CCBS
• Period 2002 to 2007

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• Government Breed Up-gradation Through Progeny
  Test Project
• Major objectives of the project
• Production of superior proven bulls
• Identification of high yielding cows and heifers
• Year-wise genetic gain and productivity
  improvement through planned mating
• Conservation and improvement of Native (Deshi)
  cattle genetic resources
• Production and identification of superior animals
  suitable for Embryo Transfer (ET)
• Increasing milk and meat production
• Period 2002 to 2007.
• Maintaining Pure Native line, Pure Sahiwal line
  and Native Exotic cross line
• Potential young bulls are being tested for
  selection
• The project is being implemented in 22 greater
  districts and CCBS
• Conservation and Improvement of Red Chittagong
  Cattle (RCC)
• An improved type / variety of Indigenous cattle
  of Bangladesh
• Higher milk production than most Indigenous
  types / varieties
• Declining due to indiscriminate crossbreeding
• Is under threat of extinction

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• Cattle Breeding Activity by Non-government
  Organizations
• The Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC)
  
• Providing cattle AI service since 1985
• Established own bull station
• Trial semen production from May, 2000 (19 bulls
  to date)
• Semen production from November, 2000
• Production capacity of 5, 00,000 doses of straw
  per annum
• Trained 1279 AI technicians
• Operating nationwide AI services through 89
  points
• Outside the government coverage
• AI technicians extend door to door service
• The cost for single dose of home to home BRAC
  semen is TK. 70 1
• Cattle Development Programme of Dairy Cooperative
• Bangladesh Milk Producers Cooperative Union Ltd.
  (Milk Vita)
• Have their own bull centre
• Different exotic cattle AnGRs (Sahiwal, Holstein
  Friesian, Jersey)
• Produce and distribute semen to their member
  farmers
• Free of cost for their member farmers

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• Breeding Service Delivery System in Bangladesh
• Govt. provides AI service only for cattle
• BRAC provides AI service for cattle
• BRAC has recently started AI service for goat
• No breeding service for buffalo and sheep
• Farmers take their cows to the AI Point for
  insemination (Govt.)
• AI technicians extend door to door service (NGO
  and Cooperative)
• Farmers take their cow / does to private bull /
  buck keepers
• Price of breeding service
• Govt. bull semen dose Taka 30/
  (Highly subsidized)
• BRAC bull semen dose Taka 70/
• BRAC buck semen dose Taka 35/
• Private natural service Taka 200/
  (Bull)
• 
  Taka 50/ (Buck)
• Commercial baby chick (broiler and layer)
• Government farms Very limited supply
• Private companies Main source (Parent stock
  and imported)
• NGOs Small scale

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• National AnGR Development Priorities
• Assist farmers to produce and sustain livestock
  of high economic potential
• Improvement of quality of animals birds through
  genetic means
• Characterization, conservation improvement of
  dairy type indigenous cattle
• Genetic improvement of smallholder livestock
  using ONBS with integration of MOET
• Evaluation of performance of exotic cattle
  their crosses with native
• Development of simple method for genetic ranking
  of animals to be used in AI services
• Evaluation of performance of exotic goat their
  crosses with native
• Conservation genetic improvement of indigenous
  breeds of small ruminants
• Conservation genetic improvement of indigenous
  buffaloes
• Development of HYV livestock in the local
  environmental conditions
• Need of the Farmers
• Farmers are the custodians of farm animal genetic
  resources
• Improved livestock breeds
• Quality breeding service (AI or breeding male)
• Training,
• Finance
• Feeds and fodder

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• Proposed Way Forward
• AnGR population of Bangladesh is under threat.
• Appreciation of the potential local indigenous
  breeds
• For success the strategies should be based in
  their adaptive environments
• Keeping national perspective for developing AnGRs
• Community-based management of animal genetic
  resources (CBMAnGR)
• Conservation through utilization in the
  traditional farming system
• Establishment of ONBS village herds / flocks
  managed by farmers
• Rural Livelihood Enhancement Through CBMAnGRs
• Requirements for CBMAnGR
• Technical support for cooperation
• Farmer training
• Micro-credit facility
• Input delivery mechanism
• Animal recording, animal screening / sire
  selection
• Preventive healthcare

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• Call for Support
• Unable to support CBMAnGRs program
• Due to limited national budgets
• Funding from international donor agencies
• Expect technical collaboration for CBMAnGRs
  program
• Would preserve valuable livestock through
  conservation and management
• Acknowledgement
• Grateful to CIDA - Financial support
• ICLS Organizing Committee - making this
  participation possible
• Some Picture Slides

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FAnGR Cattle
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Goat
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Sheep, Pig Buffalo, Gayal, Horse
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Poultry
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ET Calf Born on 26 / 11 / 2000 at CCBS
Thank You