COIMBATORE: With only 37 out of 120 native breed of cattle surviving in India, there was the urgent need to preserve them, before becoming extinct, Isha Foundation founder Sadhguru said on Monday.

“The only way one could enrich the soil was to have the needed animals and India had about 120 breed of cattle. But today only 37 of them have survived. Rest became extinct,” Sadhguru said.

“So its very important that we have it preserved. To bring this to people’s consciousness that these breeds are all fast dying..unless we preserve this, they won’t be there,” he said after witnessing the Pongal Celebrations in front of Adiyogi, near Isha Yoga Centre.

About 11 varieties of native cattle breeds including Kangeyam Ongole, Red Sindhi, Hallikkar, Gir, Tharparkkar, Vechur, Rathi, Kankarej, Sahival and 300 types of native paddy varieties from 10 States were on display at the celebration, witnessed by over 25,000 people.

On the need to preserve, he said that it was been scientifically established that the milk from this cows and also even the dung and the urine were very useful for agricultural produce and the milk has a special quality.

Stating that this is A2 kind of milk, Sadhguru said that largely in the world A1 was the milk which was being blamed for all the coronary heart diseases in many different ways.

“This is in terms of cancer prevention and above all for our children to grow up well and to fertilize the land these animals are very important and to bring this to people’s awareness and to get ordinary people who live in cities and towns to get in touch with it. Above all it is also an expression of our gratitude for the animals,” he pointed out.

Somewhere we got this idea only foreign cows are superior quality. But today there is enough science to tell us that indigenous cows are of much better quality. This is a part of our culture. They have been part of our homes and families. Large number of people have moved to cities. There is no question of having cattle. But at least once a year to express gratitude to animals who work for us, he said.

When asked whether he has any specific plans to preserve the existing breed and also revive the extinct breeds, Sadhguru said that right now here Isha has about 250 cattle which are all of indigenous quality.

“We are seeing how to have these 37 breeds, at least the sample of that to keep them going and we are trying to encourage the local farmers in a larger scale there is a vision to do this. But right now it is in a very small scale,” Sadhguru said.