Assam’s Indigenous ‘Asomi’ Sheep Breed Secures National Recognition from ICAR-NBAGR

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The indigenous 'Asomi' sheep breed of Assam has received national recognition from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBAGR). This is the 11th indigenous breed of animal or poultry from the state to receive such national recognition.

The 'Asomi' breed is also the 48th sheep breed in the country. Already, 46 indigenous and 1 synthetic breed of sheep exist in India.

Dr N. H. Mohan, the Director of ICAR-NBAGR, wrote a letter on August 18, 2026, to the Directorate of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary in Assam, saying that the ICAR Breed Registration Committee approved the Asomi as a new indigenous sheep breed during its 14th meeting on August 7, 2026.

According to the registration details, the home tract of the Asomi sheep is Assam. The breed has been assigned the accession number INDIA_SHEEP_ 0200 ASOMI_14047.

The breed registration application was submitted in 2022 by four researchers from Assam Agricultural University (AAU): Dr Galib Uz Zaman, Professor (since retired), Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Veterinary Science, Khanapara; Dr Farzin Akhtar, Junior Scientist (now Assistant Professor), Goat Research Station, Burnihat; Dr Arundhati Phookan, Assistant Professor (now Associate Professor), Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Veterinary Science, Khanapara; and Dr Niranjan Kalita, Director of Research (Veterinary), AAU, Khanapara. Dr Kalita is currently the Vice-Chancellor of AAU.

The national registration marks an important recognition of Assam's indigenous livestock genetic resources and provides the Asomi sheep with a formal identity in India's national animal breed registry.

Talking to The Sentinel, Dr Galib Uz Zaman said, "The award of national registration to the Asomi sheep breed will greatly benefit the sheep rearers of Assam. The speciality of the indigenous Asomi breed is that it is immune to a host of diseases, does not require special nutrition but subsists on grass and other natural fodder and is capable of birthing twice in a year. An adult Asomi sheep weighs between 17 and 22 kg and reaches a weight of 8 kg in just 5 months from birth. The state government can now take special initiatives for the rearers of this sheep breed."

It is worth mentioning here that, earlier, 10 species of animals and poultry in Assam were registered in the national animal breed registry. They are Luit (Swamp Buffalo), Manah (Buffalo), Lakhimi (Cattle), Assam Hill (Goat), Doom (Pig), Pati (Poultry-Duck), Nagi (Poultry-Duck), Daothigir (Poultry-Fowl), Miri (Poultry-Fowl), and Raj Digheli (Poultry-Geese).

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