Dwarf cows offer answers to climate change woes

Breed appears to carry ‘thermometer gene’ that allows them to better tolerate heat Researchers from Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University and the state government’s Animal Husbandry Department are promoting a switch to Vechur and Kasargod cattl

Worsening heat, fodder shortages and the threat of drought are forcing many hard-hit dairy farmers in the Anantapur area of India’s southern Kerala state to reduce their herds, experts say.

“This is nothing less than a catastrophe,” said Ananthakrishnan Kannappan, a livestock agent for 30 years in Anantapur. “This is the first time that due to lack of water and fodder, farmers are eagerly competing to sell off their livestock for throwaway prices.” But the solution to the problem is simple and small, livestock experts argue: heat-tolerant dwarf cows.

A team of researchers from Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University and the state government’s Animal Husbandry Department are now promoting a switch to Vechur and Kasargod cattle, two local varieties known for being easy to raise, resistant to diseases and — most important — better at tolerating high temperatures than the more popular crossbred cattle.

“High-yielding crossbreed varieties of cattle can faint or even die during hot and humid summer days,” said E.M. Mohammad, an expert on animal breeding and genetics at the university.

“Our natural breeds can better withstand the effects of climate change.”

Dwarf cows appear to carry a “thermometer gene” that allows them to better tolerate high temperatures, the researchers said.

Dwarf cows were already gaining popularity among farmers because they consume less food and water than conventional cattle varieties, the experts said. Small-scale farmers need only one or two dwarf cows to meet the milk needs of their households, they said.

The breeds are also less susceptible to mastitis, a common udder infection. Kerala farmers lose at least Rs2.5 billion (Dh144.23 million) each year due to mastitis in crossbreed varieties, according to researchers at the animal husbandry department.

According to the 2012 Kerala livestock census, not a single case of severe mastitis has been reported among dwarf cows.

Still, many commercial cattle farmers are sceptical about the benefits of downsizing to dwarf cows. Of the 2.3 million cattle in Kerala, only 6.5 per cent are dwarf varieties, agricultural experts say.