LUIT AN UNEXPLORED BUFFALO GENETIC RESOURCE  FROM THE EASTERN HIMALAYAS: A REVIEW

Dibyajyoti Talukdar; Sourabh Deori; Papori Talukdar; Arundhati Phookan; Kalyan Sarma

doi:10.56825/bufbu.2026.4525118

Authors

Dibyajyoti Talukdar College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Central Agricultural University, Mizoram, India
Sourabh Deori Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Research Complex for North-Eastern Hill Region, Meghalaya, India
Papori Talukdar College of Veterinary Science, Assam Veterinary and Fishery University, Assam, India
Arundhati Phookan College of Veterinary Science, Assam Veterinary and Fishery University, Assam, India
Kalyan Sarma College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Central Agricultural University, Mizoram, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56825/bufbu.2026.4525118

Keywords:

Bubalus bubalis, buffaloes, Luit , swamp buffalo, habitat, population, communal importance, conservation

Abstract

Buffalo farming is mainly in the hand of poor rural farmers of the North-Eastern Hill region. The farming community is ailing by pronounced land scarcity with the ratio of agricultural land to agricultural population and these farmers find buffalo rearing quite convenient for their livelihood. The buffalo population of North-Eastern India is basically of indigenous, or swamp type and the animals are hardy and quite adaptable to the local warm and humid conditions of the region. This type of buffaloes was registered as the 14^th breed of buffalo in India named “Luit”. Farmers of North-East India primarily rear the “Luit” for dual purposes i.e. milk and work. The milk of Luit is having great demand in the market. Among the farmers and consumers, it is commonly famous as “Khuti Milk” due to its high-fat percentage. Luit is also used for agricultural operations viz. ploughing and paddling the wet rice fields and carting. Adult male or female Luit is mostly used as a single animal to plough rice fields with locally designed ploughs. Nowadays, the breed is declining in number very fast, whereas these buffaloes are very good source of livelihood for the nomads and poor farmers, hence immediate steps should be taken to save this precious breed in its natural territory.

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