Punganur Cows

• Context (IE | DH): The Punganur breed cows were recently in the news.

  

• The Punganur breed is native to the Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh.
• These dwarf cattle are the world’s shortest-humped breed.
• Punganur cows come in various colours (white or grey or shades of light or dark brown).
• They have small, crescent-shaped horns, longer in females than males.
• They were once on the verge of extinction. However, their numbers improved from 2,828 (19th Livestock Census) to 13,275 (20th Livestock Census).
• Distribution: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu.

Significance of Punganur Cows Milk

• The milk of the Punganur cow, contains the element Au (gold).
• It is used for Ksheeraabhishekam (milk offering to the deity) in Tirupati Thirumala Temple.
• It is nutritionally rich, known for its high-fat content, A2 milk, and abundance of nutrients like Omega fatty acids, calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

Conservation efforts taken

• Andhra Pradesh government provided financial support for the promotion of the Punganur breed.
• GoI established Gokul Gram for the promotion of Punganur and other indigenous breeds of cattle in Telangana.

A1 vs A2 Milk Milk contains about 85% water. The remaining 15% is the milk sugar lactose, protein, fat and minerals. Beta-casein (protein) is about 30% of the total protein content in milk. A2 milk is the milk that contains only the A2 type of beta-casein protein. A1 milk contains only A1 beta casein or A1A2 type variant. The A1 protein variant is commonly found in milk from crossbred and European breeds of cattle. A2 milk is found basically in indigenous cows and buffaloes of India (Asia as a whole). A2 milk is gaining popularity because some studies suggest that A2 milk may be easier to digest for some individuals than A1 milk.