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Tharparkar cow Photo: SL chaudhary · Pexels License · source ↗

Tharparkar cattle (drought-hardy dual purpose)

Tharparkar is a hardy, dual-purpose zebu breed from the Thar desert tract straddling Rajasthan and the Sindh region. Registered with the ICAR National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR), it is prized for combining moderate milk yield with remarkable resilience to heat, low-quality fodder and prolonged drought. ICAR-NDRI and Rashtriya Gokul Mission promote Tharparkar as a foundation breed for arid-zone dairying and for crossbreeding programmes that need tropical adaptation.

Origin and distribution

The breed evolved in the Tharparkar district of Sindh (now Pakistan) and the adjoining Jaisalmer, Barmer, Jodhpur and Bikaner districts of western Rajasthan. Government farms at Suratgarh and Bikaner maintain pedigreed herds, and the breed is being introduced into Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and parts of southern India through artificial insemination (Artificial Insemination Cattle).

Appearance

Tharparkar animals are medium-sized with a deep, compact body and white-to-light-grey coat that darkens to iron-grey in bulls. The forehead is broad and flat, horns are medium and lyre-shaped, the dewlap is well developed and the hump in bulls is moderately large. Ears are medium and slightly drooping. Adult cows weigh 380–410 kg and bulls 450–500 kg. The animal stands on strong, straight legs that make it an able bullock for cart and light tillage work.

Productivity

Lactation yield averages 1,400–2,200 kg over 300 days under farm conditions, with elite cows recording 3,000 kg or more. Milk fat is 4.5–5.0%. Tharparkar matures at 36–42 months and maintains an inter-calving interval of 14–16 months even in scarcity years. Its defining strength is drought tolerance: the breed survives on coarse desert grasses, sewan (Lasiurus) and tree-leaf fodder, and continues to produce milk where other breeds dry off. This makes it a strong fit for desi-cow natural farming (Desi Cow Natural Farming) and arid-zone organised dairies.

Management

Tharparkar performs well on rotational grazing supplemented with stored kadbi (sorghum stover), cluster-bean haulm and salt-mineral licks. In peri-urban dairies a balanced concentrate ration of 2.0–2.5 kg per cow per day plus 400 g per litre of milk maintains yield. Loose-housing systems with shade and water troughs are preferred to tie-stall sheds in the desert. Heat-tolerant temperament makes Tharparkar a useful F0 dam in HF and Jersey crossbreeding programmes for hot-arid districts.

See also: Gir cattle, Sahiwal cow, Red Sindhi cattle, Kankrej cattle, Hariana cattle.

Sources

  1. Tharparkar — NBAGR breed profile. ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal.
  2. Tharparkar — Dairy Knowledge Portal. National Dairy Development Board.