Buffalo: Asia

Domestic buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) of swamp type (for draught) and river type (for milk) dominate the tropical Asia with slightly more than 169.4 million. They breed throughout the year and produce two calves every 3 years and are fed mainly on straw, crop residues, and mineral supplements. Assisted reproductive technologies such as artificial insemination and embryo transfer have also been introduced and implemented in buffalo production with less success due to difficulty in detecting estrus. Providing good feed and feeding remain a challenge in buffalo husbandry due to limited feed resources. With improved management and proper breeding, the milk production from buffaloes has increased from 1500 to 5000 l per lactation. The river type buffalo currently produces about 73.2 million tonnes of milk annually.