Buffalo: Black gold of Pakistan

摘要

Buffaloisplayingaleadingroleinthenationaleconomybyproducingmilk,meatanddraughtpower.Outoftotalmilkproducedinthecountry,buffalocontributesabout68%,followedbycattle(27%)andsheep/goat/camel(5%).Duetohighfatcontentsofbuffalomilk,itisthemostpreferredspeciesinPakistan.However,therearecertainproblemsrelatedtothisspeciessuchaslateageofmaturity,longcalvingintervalandsilentheat.Theseproblemscanbesolvedthroughefficientmanagement.Atpresent,thereare26.3millionbuffaloesinPakistan,havingagoodproductionpotential.InPakistan,buffaloesnotonlyfulfilltheproteinrequirementsofthehumanpopulationbymilkandmeat,butarealsohaveagreatshareinprovidingthetractionpowerforvariousagriculturalpurposes.Nodoubt,wehavethebestbreeds(NiliRaviandKundi)atworldlevelbuttheyarenotproducingaccordingtotheirpotential,mainlyduetomis-management.Inotherpartsoftheworldmostofthebuffalopopulationisswamptype.Theyaremainlyusedfordraughtpurposes.Despiteoftheseproblems,thereisroomforimprovement.DuetotheirversatilequalitiestheyarerightlycalledasBlackGoldofPakistan.TheaimofthisreviewpaperistopointouttheproductionperformanceofPakistanibuffaloeswithalittletouchtoexoticbuffaloesandthesuggestions/recommendationstoimprovetheirperformancetoproducemore.