🐃Buffalo Breeds - Murrah, Surti, Bhadawari and All Major Indian Buffalo Breeds

India — The Buffalo Capital of the World

India holds the largest buffalo population in the world — 109.85 million buffaloes (20th Livestock Census, 2019), accounting for 57% of the global buffalo population of ~200 million.

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Types

Buffaloes are broadly classified into two types based on their habitat, physical characteristics, and utility. Understanding this distinction is fundamental for competitive exams.

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Buffalo Breed Groups

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Murrah

• Native: Rohtak, Jind, Hisar, Bhiwani districts of Haryana; also Nabha, Patiala districts of Punjab and around Delhi. This breed is the pride of Indian dairy farming and is widely used in crossbreeding programmes across the country.
• The breed characteristics are massive body, neck and head comparatively long, horns short and tightly curled, Udder well developed, hip broad and fore and hind quarters drooping. The tail is long reaching the fetlock. White twitch. The tightly curled horns are the most distinctive feature of the Murrah breed — the name “Murrah” itself means “curled” in Hindi.
• The colour is usually jet black, with white markings on tail, and face and extremities sometimes found.
• Body weight: Adult males average 567 kg (range 450–800 kg); adult females average 516 kg (range 350–700 kg).
• The bullocks are good draught animals though slow and powerful.
• The average milk production per lactation is 1,500 to 2,500 kgs (Highest) with 7–8% fat percentage. Research data (ICAR-CIRB) documents an average of 2,604.8 kg in elite herds. This makes Murrah the highest milk-yielding buffalo breed in India, which is why it is extensively used for grading up non-descript buffaloes.
• The age at first calving is 42–45 months and inter-calving period is 450–500 days.
• Birth weight: Male calves avg 31.7 kg, female calves avg 30 kg.

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Surti

• Native: Vadodara, Bharuch, Kheda, and Surat districts of Gujarat. Also known as Charotari or Deccani.
• The barrel is wedge shaped. The head is long with prominent eyes.
• The horns are sickle shaped moderately long and flat. The back is straight and tail is fairly long. The sickle-shaped horns are the defining identification feature of the Surti breed.

• The colour is black or brown.
• Average milk yield is approximately 1,667 kg per lactation (range 1,200–1,800 kg), with an average fat content of 7.02% (NDDB data).
• The age at first calving is 40 to 50 months with an inter-calving period of 400–500 days.
• The peculiarity of breed is very high fat percentage in milk (8 to 12%). Surti is feed-efficient — it thrives on stovers and limited green fodder while producing milk rich in fat and SNF.
• Note: The fat range 8–12% is the breed’s documented potential range. The NDDB average of 7.02% reflects typical herd-level performance under commercial conditions. Both figures appear in exams — the range (8–12%) is the “peculiarity” and the NDDB average (7.02%) is the standardised data point.
• The bullocks are good for light work.

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Mehsana

• Native: Mehsana, Sabarkantha, Banaskantha, Ahmedabad, and Gandhinagar districts of Gujarat.
• Cross of Murrah × Surti. The Mehsana breed combines the high milk yield of Murrah with the high fat content of Surti, making it an excellent dual-quality dairy buffalo.
• Horn shape: Less curved than Murrah, but curve more upward than Surti — an intermediate form.
• Average milk yield: 1,988 kg per lactation (range: 598–3,597 kg); average fat: 6.83% (NDDB Progeny Testing Programme, Dudhsagar Dairy, Mehsana).
• Animals are mostly black; a few are black-brown or brown.

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Jaffarbadi

• Native: Saurashtra region of Gujarat — especially Junagarh, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Amreli, and Rajkot districts, in and around the Gir forest. Also called Bhavnagri or Gir.
• The horns are heavy, inclined to droop at each side of the neck and then turning up at point (drooping horns). The big dome-shaped forehead sometimes covers the eyelids — a distinguishing feature.
• Heaviest Indian breed of buffalo. Adult males weigh up to 700 kg (avg); females avg 620 kg. The Jaffarbadi holds the distinction of being the largest and heaviest among all Indian buffalo breeds.
• The udder is well developed with funnel shaped teats.
• Average milk yield: 2,150–2,340 kg per lactation (305–365 days); very efficient in converting roughages into milk.
• Fun Fact: Jaffarbadi buffaloes living in Gir forest are known for their ability to defend against lions, due to their massive size and bold temperament.

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Nilli Ravi

• Nili Ravi is also known as Panch Kalyani. The name means “five auspicious marks” — referring to white markings on the forehead, feet, and tail tip.
• Found in the Sutlej valley in Ferozpur district of Punjab and in the Sahiwal district of Pakistan. The breed name comes from the Nili (blue waters of Sutlej) and Ravi rivers.
• Head: Small and elongated, bulging at the top and depressed between the eyes — a unique identification feature. Horns are tightly coiled and small (unlike Murrah’s larger curls).
• Most desired character: possession of white markings with distinctive wall eyes (whitish/bluish iris).
• Milk yield: 1,500–1,850 kg per lactation; inter-calving period: 500–550 days.
• Age at first calving: 45–50 months.

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Bhadawari

• Native: Agra and Etawah districts of Uttar Pradesh and Gwalior district of Madhya Pradesh — found in the ravines of the Yamuna and Chambal rivers.
• The body is copper coloured — unusual among buffalo breeds (which are typically black). Animals also have two distinctive white rings on the lower side of the neck and legs.
• Average milk yield: 800–1,000 kg per lactation (medium yield).
• Fat content: range 5.5–14%, average 8.09%, and can reach up to 13–14% (Highest fat among all buffalo breeds). This makes Bhadawari uniquely valuable for ghee production.
• Conservation: ICAR initiated a dedicated conservation and improvement programme at IGFRI (Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute), Jhansi under the Network Project on Buffalo Improvement since 2001.

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Toda

• Toda breed of buffaloes is named after the ancient Toda tribe of the Nilgiri Hills of South India (Tamil Nadu). These buffaloes hold deep cultural and religious significance for the Toda community, who have maintained this semi-wild breed for centuries.
• These buffaloes are quite distinct from other breeds — considered a semi-wild breed adapted to the cool, high-altitude environment of the Nilgiris.
• Thick hair coat all over the body — an adaptation to the cold, high-altitude climate of the Nilgiri hills (~2,000 m above sea level).
• They are gregarious in nature — prefer to live and move in herds.
• Milk yield: approximately 500 kg per lactation; fat content: ~8%.

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Nagpuri

• AKA Elitchpuri or Barari.
• Breeding tract: Nagpur, Akola, and Amravati districts of Maharashtra.
• Black coloured with white patches on face, legs, and tail.
• The horns are long, flat and curved, bending backward on each side of the back (Sword shaped horns). The sword-shaped horns are the most striking feature of the Nagpuri breed and a key exam identification point.
• Milk yield: 700–1,200 kg per lactation over ~286 days; fat content: 7.7%.

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Pandharpuri

• Native: Kolhapur and Solapur districts (South Maharashtra).
• Typical characteristic: horns are very long, curved backward, upward, and usually twisted outwards — sometimes extending beyond the shoulder blade, up to the pin bone. These exceptionally long twisted horns are the hallmark of the Pandharpuri breed.
• Highly productive with regular calving.

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Godavari

• Breeding tract: east and west Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh — in the deltaic regions of the Godavari and Krishna rivers.
• Black in colour with a mix of brown hair on the body.
• Average milk yield: 1,200–1,500 kg per lactation over 305 days.
• Evolved by grading up local non-descript buffaloes of coastal Andhra Pradesh with Murrah bulls. This is a textbook example of the grading-up system of breeding, where local animals are progressively improved over generations using superior sires.

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Wallowing

Wallowing is the natural behaviour of buffaloes — rolling in mud or lying in water, especially to keep cool or avoid biting insects. Buffaloes have far fewer sweat glands compared to cattle, making wallowing essential for thermoregulation (body temperature regulation). Good buffalo management must provide access to wallowing ponds or showers, particularly during summer months.

References & Sources

1

G.C. Banerjee: A Textbook of Animal HusbandryBook

2

ICAR-NBAGR: Buffalo Breeds of India — all 22 registered breedsWeb

3

ICAR-NBAGR: Registered Buffalo Breeds — official registration listWeb

4

ICAR-NBAGR: Murrah Buffalo Breed Descriptor — body weight, milk yield, home tract, distributionWeb

5

ICAR-NBAGR: Jaffarabadi Buffalo Breed Descriptor — heaviest breed, Gir forest, milk yieldWeb

6

ICAR-NBAGR: Bhadawari Buffalo Breed Descriptor — highest fat, copper colour, IGFRI conservationWeb

7

ICAR-NBAGR: Nili-Ravi Buffalo Breed Descriptor — wall eyes, Panch Kalyani, PunjabWeb

8

ICAR-NBAGR: Pandharpuri Buffalo Breed Descriptor — extra-long twisted horns, South MaharashtraWeb

9

ICAR-NBAGR: Nagpuri Buffalo Breed Descriptor — sword-shaped horns, MaharashtraWeb

10

ICAR-NBAGR: Toda Buffalo — The Unique Hill Buffalo of Tamil Nadu, Nilgiri HillsWeb

11

Buffalopedia (ICAR-CIRB): Murrah — breed profile, production data, geographic distributionWeb

12

Buffalopedia (ICAR-CIRB): Jaffarabadi — breed profile, Gir forest, milk yieldWeb

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Buffalopedia (ICAR-CIRB): Bhadawari — fat content, copper colour, conservationWeb

14

Buffalopedia (ICAR-CIRB): Nili-Ravi — wall eyes, five auspicious marks, milk yieldWeb

15

Buffalopedia (ICAR-CIRB): Nagpuri — sword horns, fat%, lactation lengthWeb

16

NDDB Dairy Knowledge Portal: Surti Buffalo — breeding tract, avg 1667 kg milk, 7.02% fatWeb

17

NDDB Dairy Knowledge Portal: Mehsana Buffalo — Murrah×Surti cross, avg 1988 kg, progeny testingWeb

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NDDB Dairy Knowledge Portal: Bhadawari Buffalo — fat range, Yamuna/Chambal ravinesWeb

19

DAHD (Govt. of India): 21st Livestock Census Brochure — India buffalo population, state-wise dataWeb

20

ICAR Journal of Livestock Biodiversity: Buffalo population trends and geographic distribution in IndiaWeb

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Summary Cheat Sheet