Recently Registered Breeds of Sheep in India

wool. Sheep breeds can be classified as general-purpose breeds, specialized dam breeds, and specialized sire breeds. They have been developed to adapt to various environmental conditions influenced by latitude and altitude, and to meet human needs for clothing and wool. Sheep are short-day breeders. In India, a total of 10.25 million tonnes (BAHS, 2024) of meat is produced from sheep, contributing 11.13% to the overall meat production. The total wool production in the country is 33.69 million kilograms (BAHS, 2024), showing a 0.22% increase compared to the previous year. Rajasthan is the highest wool-producing state, contributing 45.94% of the total wool output. According to the 20th Livestock Census, the total number of sheep in India was 74.26 million in 2019, representing a 14.1% increase over the previous census. Of these, 4.09 million are exotic breeds and 70.17 million are indigenous. Total 46 indigenous breed of sheep is registered by ICAR-NBAGR. In that, following 3 breeds were registered in the last five year.