N.B. Nair
India has a very rich genetic diversity and possesses some of the best breeds of cattle and buffaloes in the world. It accounts for 17 percent of the world’s population of cattle, whereas the best indigenous animals account for 22-25 percent. The native livestock breeds exhibit a distinct superiority and can live on poor-quality feed. These breeds can withstand heat and show better resistance to tropical diseases.
There are 50 recognised breeds of native cows now – Vechur Cow from Kerala, the smallest cattle breed in the world, is one of them.
A Working Group on Animal Husbandry set up by the then Planning Commission (now Niti Ayog), for the Tenth Five Year plan proposals had made certain recommendations for the development of cattle and its breeding policies.
It wanted a new programme focussed exclusively on draught breeds of livestock and sought a well-defined policy to improve pure indigenous well-developed breeds.
The National Cattle Breeding Policy document blamed state governments for not conserving and preserving the good indigenous genetic germplasms, which led to its depletion to only 20 percent of the total cattle population.
Though the federal government and its agencies wanted the preservation of the native cattle population, an animal scientist in Kerala had to fight against multiple adversaries in her consistent efforts to save a native cow, which was almost extinct. Its name was derived from Vechur village in Kottayam district of Kerala, where it was originally found.
The scientist, Dr Sosamma Iype finally succeeded in reviving Vechur Cows and her contribution was recognised by the Government of India in 2022, by conferring the fourth highest civilian award – Padma Shri.
Vechur cow has a maximum height of 90 cms, just the height of a goat. Its milk is considered ideal for children and convalescents as the fat globule in it is smaller and easily digestible. This variety was very popular for its comparatively high yield of high-fat milk, low fodder requirement, and higher resistance to diseases commonly affecting cows.
As Dr Iype, former head of the Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding at the Kerala Veterinary University, Thrissur set out to conserve this native breed, controversies followed her. There was a host of doubting Thomases in the establishment, rival animal scientists and educationists, so-called ‘public-spirited’ media houses, and as Dr Iype described, ‘eco-feminist’ Vandana Shiva.
Dr Iype with the help of a handful of young researchers, students, and villagers, set out to trace Vechur Cow in Kottayam and neighbouring districts and finally was able to find a few animals and succeeded to breed them at the facility in the University.
Environmental activist Vandana Shiva claimed the DNA of Vechur Cow was allegedly smuggled out of India to Scotland’s Roslin Institute for use in patentable research on transgenic animals. The Institute, part of the University of Edinburgh, however, denied the claim.
“When Vechur Cow was becoming a reality, there were clandestine operations to finish it off. I lived in fear and there was a time when the calling bell telephone rang, I shuddered to open the door or to attend to the phone. Attempts were made to spread fake news, obviously with the tacit hand of some teaching and non-teaching staff of the college. Almost everyone on the campus knew who were these highly educated social undesirables. Apart from them, how could some popular media and the well-known ecofeminist Vandana Shiva claim to be upholders of probity in an advanced society,” wrote Dr Iype in the introduction to her book Vechur Pasu – Pasu in Malayalam means cow.
“I could hold on only as some insiders from Kerala Agricultural University and outsiders took turns to guard the small cows. They made an impregnable security ring around the silent creature,” said Dr Iype ascribing to some hidden hands that tried to scuttle their efforts to revive the cattle.
Like wildlife, domestic animals will also disappear from this world, unless we protect them. Cattle genes have been reduced to around 1000 around the world. “Unless we adopt a lifestyle that does not damage our flora and fauna, nature and its living beings will disappear from this planet,” said Dr Iype, now enjoying her retirement life with children and grandchildren.
Kerala is in a tropical climate and bigger animals cannot bear higher temperatures and humidity. Likewise, the topography is wet and close to the coast, which is not suitable for bigger, heavier animals. Traditionally, therefore smaller animals were reared in this region from time immemorial. Another advantage of native animals is their higher disease resistance. Thus, this smaller specie of cow emerged in this region.
Since the 1950s, Kerala had introduced artificial insemination in cattle from exotic breeds like Sindhi and Jersey and later in the 1960s Brown Swiss species of bulls, resulting in the extinction of native breeds.
It was only in 1986, the Kerala Agriculture University launched a project to study progeny testing of mix-breed cattle with the assistance of the apex Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR). The core team, during a survey, found there was no native breed of cattle in the region. Later a visiting Indo-American delegation on livestock wanted to see a native cattle breed. Unfortunately, the University could show them none.
That was the genesis of Dr Ipye’s search for Vechur Cow, which was in existence in Kerala. For weeks and months, with the help of student volunteers, they sieved through the region known for this breed of native cow – Vechur in Kottayam district to find if any such cow remains there.
The University approved her project for the revival of Vechur Cow in 1989 with an initial allocation of Rs. 65,000/-.
It was a crazy idea to restore Vechur Cow, which gives relatively less milk. The team brought out a leaflet to create awareness among people on the need for the protection of the native breed, Save Vechur Cow from Extinction.
“It was perhaps the first project to save a breed from extinction and we received support from ICAR in New Delhi. Our project was an eye-opener to revive native cattle in several other states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka,” explained Dr Iype.
Dr Iype recollected with pain, several attempts to poison the cattle, set the cattle shed on fire, and spread rumours and falsehood through media by interested elements as her team inched towards success in their efforts.
Image courtesy: Sabu Kurien John, Kottayam