Reproduction and Fertility of Buffaloes in Nepal

Water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) in Nepal contributes 57% of the total milk and 36% of the total meat production in the country. The productive efficiency of Nepalese buffaloes is quite low, due mainly to subfertility and infertility. Delayed puberty and prolonged inter-calving intervals, attributed mainly by anestrus due to silent cyclicity and ovarian acyclicity, are the major forms of infertility in Nepalese buffaloes. Moreover, buffaloes in Nepal show a distinct seasonal breeding pattern, with July to December as the active breeding season, and with April to June and January to March as the low and transitional breeding seasons, respectively. Endoparasitic infection and poor nutritional status, which are more severe during the low season, are found to be the major factors causing anestrus and compromising its treatment response in buffaloes. Various hormonal protocols for timed artificial insemination (TAI) have been attempted, with a varying pregnancy outcome. Recently, an integrated technique including anthelmintic treatment, nutritional supplementation and hormone-based fertility management programs for TAI has been developed and implemented successfully. A wider adoption of this technique as a package of practices could be key to improving the reproductive efficiency of buffaloes in Nepal.