RCVETS, LAHORE

PRESENTATION: IMPORTANCE OF GOAT GENETIC RESOURCES

SUBMITTED TO: DR. JAVED IQBALBY VOLUNTEER: MR.FEROZ HANIF

# 236,140,233,252,223,137,147,151,158,197,204,223

GROUP: C2 APRIL 04TH,2016.

 

Importance of goat genetic resources

Developing countries are rich in goat genetic resources. China, India, and Pakistan are top goat meat producing countries in the world. The goat population in Pakistan is 53.8 million, ranking third in the world . Good quality meat is exported in most of the Middle East and other Asian countries from Pakistan thus contributing an important role in the country’s economy.

Contribution

Location and climate: The study was conducted at the Angora Goat Farm, Rakh Khairewala, District Layyah (Pakistan’s largest small ruminant farm with 14,472 acres of land) under the Directorate of Small Ruminants. The climate is warm temperate with mean maximum and minimum temperatures, daily relative humidity, and mean annual rainfall of 45 °C and 12 °C, 80% (max) and 54% (min), and 135 cm, respectively.

Materials and Methods

Four goat breeds Beetal, Teddy, Angora, Nachi were selected. The locality of all breeds was Punjab districts except for Teddy, which is also found in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Beetal and Teddy are used for meat and milk purposes, Angora is raised mainly for hair, while Nachi serves for meat, milk and hair production. All selected breeds were kept under uniform management conditions.

Characteristics&management

The production systems are nomadic, transhumant and sedentary. This system is found mostly in parts of Sindh and Baluchistan in Southern Pakistan. These flocks, with more than 100 animals, move constantly throughout the year in search of grazing land. Most of the lambs and kids are born between January and April, when flocks are at lower elevations. Females are retained for flock replacement or enlargement, but males are sold before they are one year old.

Production Systems

a)Nomadic

In this system flock owners have a fixed base but move with their families to another grazing area for a major part of the year: This system is prevalent in tribal areas in parts of the North West Frontier Province, in parts of Sindh and Baluchistan and throughout the Northern Areas. Average flock size is about 100 animals. Grazing is mainly on rangeland or crop residues, and sometimes pastures must be rented. The flock owners have easy access to the market and sell the male progeny, often at low weight.

b)Transhumant.

These flocks remain in the same locality throughout the year and are taken out to graze during the day and brought back in the evening: Flocks are small, usually between 20 and 40 animals, and graze opportunistically on crop stubble, roadsides, canal banks, waterlogged areas, rangeland and weeds. Women frequently keep a few animals, mostly near the house and feed them on household scraps, weeds and nearby pastures.

c)Sedentary – househ

Sheep and goat breeds are at higher risk of losing their identity due to indiscriminate breeding and lack of any breeding policy or directive from the government. In fact, no significant development project or programme for improvement or selective breeding of local breeds has ever been seriously undertaken. Furthermore, with population expansion, availability of grazing places and rangelands is decreasing, thus reducing nutrient availability to these animals.

Threats

Since formal phenotypic and genetic characterization of the small ruminant breeds has generally not been carried out, the value of a given breed is judged only based on their potential for production of mutton, thus breeds with lower adult weight are most likely to disappear.

1.Clearly defined breeding policies should be established and implemented for all major breeds of goats.2.Livestock departments in the provinces should assist in the organization of goat farmers’ groups and breed associations in various regions.3.Pakistan is very rich in goat genetic resources. However, if more emphasis is place only on certain breeds, the others may get neglected and lost over the time.Immediate efforts should be made to conserve breeds with lesser populations.

Recommendations

For these conservation efforts, either government farms can be utilized or the government may provide incentives to private farmers for rearing these animals.4.Goat improvement programes for all major breeds like Beetal, Dera Din Panah, Nachi, Kamori, Barberi Khurasani and Dhamani should be started immediately for exploiting full potential of these breeds.5.Forage and range development programmes should be instituted and implemented involving local stake-holders, particularly goat herders.

Goats are among the most versatile of all domestic animals, used for milk, meat, and fiber, and for packing and land management. Goat milk is inexpensive to produce, easy to digest, and nutritionally rich. Demand for goat milk has encouraged the development of many specialized dairy breeds, especially in Europe and India.Goat meat is consumed worldwide. Despite the importance of meat, however, few specialized meat breeds have been developed.

Importance