Vol. 9, Issue 4, Part A (2024)

Author(s): M Jeyakumar

Abstract: For generations, indigenous livestock species have coexisted alongside humans as significant providers of food, money, socioeconomic status, and cultural significance. Today's livestock scenario is driven by demand rather than resources, which were formerly determined by local habitats and conditions. As a result, in new, high-input agricultural methods, specialized features of indigenous animal breeds with poor productivity are disregarded. This has caused high-yielding breeds to gradually displace traditional multipurpose ones, and farming has shifted to one that is more focused on profits. Given that native livestock cannot out-produce industrial livestock systems, it seems logical to concentrate on their distinctive qualities for the sake of conservation and as a source of income. Fortunately, there is a vast but frequently unrealized potential for many indigenous breeds and species to generate goods that consumers value and demand. Numerous indigenous breeds possess distinctive attributes such as vibrant wool, immunity to disease, patterned hides, ultra-fine fiber, exceptionally tasty meat, or milk that has medicinal or health benefits. Local breeders can create distinctive goods that have the potential to create large amounts of demand and save endangered breeds from extinction.