Guwahati: Assam’s ‘Asomi’ sheep has received national recognition from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBAGR), making it the 11th indigenous animal from the state to receive such recognition.The Asomi breed is described as the 48th sheep breed in the country. India currently has 46 indigenous and one synthetic sheep breed, according to the source material.The recognition process began after four researchers from Assam Agricultural University (AAU) submitted an application in 2021. They were Galib Uz Zaman, former head of the Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding at the College of Veterinary Science, Khanapara; Farzin Akhtar, junior scientist and now assistant professor at the Goat Research Station, Burnihat; Arundhati Phookan, associate professor in the Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding at the College of Veterinary Science, Khanapara; and Niranjan Kalita, director of research (Veterinary) at AAU, Khanapara.“Assam has a sheep population of nearly 5.81 lakh, but for a long time these sheep remained unrecognised as a distinct breed despite their significant contribution to the rural economy,” Galib Uz Zaman said.According to Zaman, the Asomi sheep has high productivity, particularly in terms of reproduction and meat production.“The Asomi sheep is primarily a meat-producing breed. One of its most notable characteristics is its high reproductive rate. The sheep can give birth twice a year, while twinning is also common. In some cases, the animals have been observed producing triplets and even quadruplets. Experts who have visited Assam have also been surprised by the breed’s high prolificacy,” he said.The breed also has a good growth rate. Despite being raised without additional feed supplements, the sheep can attain a weight of around 8 kg within five months of birth.The recognition of the Asomi sheep as a distinct breed is expected to have a significant impact on farmers and livestock rearers in Assam.“Once an animal receives breed recognition, its products can command a higher market value and the animal comes within the ambit of government policies and programmes related to breeding, conservation, immunisation and vaccination,” Zaman said.He also cautioned against indiscriminate cross-breeding. According to him, the characteristics of the Asomi sheep are the result of thousands of years of evolution and natural selection, which have enabled the animals to adapt to Assam’s local conditions and diseases.Cross-breeding with other breeds could dilute these genetic characteristics and potentially lead to the loss of traits that make the indigenous breed suited to the region, he said.
