Murrah, the jet-black buffalo of central Haryana, and the buffalo research institute at Hisar
Background
The ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, at Sirsa Road, Hisar, Haryana 125001, publishes the official breed description of the Murrah.
Its breed page gives the Murrah's habitat as Central Haryana & Delhi. The phenotypic traits it records are a colour of Jet Black, horns short & tightly curled, a Long body with massive frame, a light neck and head, and a tail that is Long, White switch common.
The production traits it records are an Age at First Calving 44 months, a Lactation Length 300 days, a Calving Interval 453 days and a 305 days Milk Yield 2000Kg.
The institute itself was established in the year 1985 and started functioning from 1 February, 1985, and a sub-campus was later added in December,1987 at Bir Dosanjh, Nabha, District Patiala, Punjab.
A highly pedigreed breeding herd of Murrah is established at main campus in Hisar and that of Nili-Ravi buffaloes at sub-campus Nabha. The institute's mandate includes undertaking research and transfer of technology on all aspects of buffalo production, and To establish nucleus breeding herds of important buffalo breeds.
In plain words
ICAR Indian Council of Agricultural Research — The autonomous body under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education that runs India's central agricultural research institutes.
Lactation length Lactation length — The number of days an animal gives milk in one cycle between calvings.
Nucleus breeding herd Nucleus breeding herd — A small, closely recorded herd kept to produce superior breeding animals for wider use.