For the last 40 years, Indian dairy animals have observed major demographic changes-exponential growth of crossbreds, increasing proportion of buffaloes and decreasing number of indigenous cattle. Indigenous breed diversity has come down overall due to wide-spread crossbreeding and upgrading programmes with dominance of few breeds. Nearly one-fifth of indigenous bovine breeds have fallen under risk. Redefining breeding policies and initiating conservation programmes can check further depletion of dairy breed diversity.
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