Banni buffalo, which are also known as "Kutchi" or "Kundi", is a breed of buffalo found primarily in the Kutch district of Gujarat, India. The word 'Banni' is specific to not only the buffaloes but as well as the pasture grass species which are native to this region. This breed of buffaloes is usually bred and preserved by a local community found in Kutch, called the 'Maldharis'. An average Banni buffalo yields around 12 to 18 litres of milk each day.
The Banni buffalo has a different genetic makeup as compared to more common breeds, which allows for longer lactation periods, higher milk production potentials and also makes it disease resistant. It has also become the main source of livelihood for Maldharis, and they are also slowly gaining popularity in other regions such as Mumbai. The Banni buffalo is well-adapted to survive the extreme weather conditions such as water scarcity, frequent droughts, low humidity and high temperatures, unlike other commonly found buffaloes such as the ‘Murrah’ and ‘Jaffarabadi’. The Banni buffalo breed sustains itself in these harsh climatic conditions by consuming the naturally available grasses growing in this belt. They are also trained to return by themselves to their specific hamlets in the morning.
Origin and recognition
The Banni buffalo breed originates from the Sind region in Pakistan. What is now referred to as the Banni land, was given to the Maldhari community 500 years ago by the rulers of the Kutch district for livestock grazing.
Recognition from the government
The Banni buffalo was recognised as the 11th buffalo breed in India by the Indian Breed Registration Committee, ICAR, New Delhi, in the year 2010. It wasn't considered a different breed of buffaloes until 2002. K. P. Singh, a livestock scientist from Gujarat Agricultural University started working with his colleague BP Mishra and a Bhuj-based NGO called ‘Sahjeevan’ on a pilot research project. After two years of data collection, it was discovered that the molecular construct of Banni buffaloes was different from that of other breeds. This project was funded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and led to the formation of the Banni Breeders’ Association.
Banni Breeders’ Association filed an application for the registration of the breed followed by applications from scientists. An initiative of opening cooperatives for the Maldharis was also taken up by The National Dairy Development Board.
In 2010, Banni buffalo was recognised by the Breed Registration Committee, ICAR, New Delhi as the 11th breed of India.
Location and population
The Banni region is a grassland situated, at 23019'N to 23052'N to 68056'E to 70032'E, in the district of Kutch in Gujarat, India. Spanning over 2600 square kilometres, this pasture land has over 30 varieties of grass. The Banni buffalo travels a distance of about 10 to 15 kilometres to reach these grasslands each day. Travelling a greater distance enables the Banni to fully digest all the grass, and in turn, helps in increasing the rate of metabolism, leading to an increased yield of milk.
According to the seventeenth livestock census of 2003, conducted by the government of India, the total population of the Banni buffalo was 3,190,000 in Gujarat, with around 1,780,000 in Kutch alone. Banni buffalo is also distributed throughout other parts of Gujarat, and Maharashtra due to their high milk yield. Banni buffalo was recognised as the eleventh buffalo breed of India by Indian council of agricultural research in 2011. A herd of Banni buffaloes comprises 40-50 members, with the maximum going to 100. Banni buffaloes cover a grazing distance of 8 to 10 kilometres in Monsoon and up to 15 kilometres in the summer.
In the last few decades, there has been an increase in Prosopis juliflora. Considered as an invasive weed in this region, prosopis juliflora has resulted in the decline of Kankrej cattle, which gave rise to Banni buffaloes who remained unaffected by it. Banni Buffalo were also able to adapt to the harsh water conditions.