Manipuri Duck Officially Recognized as Indigenous Breed

The Manipuri duck, known as ‘Meitei Nganu’, has been officially recognized as an indigenous breed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. This recognition follows a meeting where 13 indigenous breeds were approved, highlighting the importance of local livestock in agriculture. The registration ceremony was attended by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who presented the certificate to officials from the Central Agricultural University. With this addition, Manipur now has four registered indigenous breeds, showcasing the region's rich agricultural heritage. The article also discusses the ongoing efforts to register other indigenous breeds, including the Haofa dog.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jan 16, 2026, 11:20 IST

Recognition of the Manipuri Duck

Imphal, Jan 16: The Manipuri duck, known locally as ‘Meitei Nganu’ or ‘Eshing Nganu’, has officially been acknowledged as a unique indigenous breed.

This recognition was granted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) based in Karnal, Haryana, after the Breed Registration Committee approved it during its 13th meeting on November 12 of the previous year in New Delhi.

The meeting was led by Dr. Raghavendra Bhatta, Deputy Director General (Animal Science) at ICAR, with participation from officials of the Central Agricultural University (CAU) in Imphal.

According to CAU Assistant Professor Dr. M Norjit Singh, the Manipuri duck was one of 13 indigenous livestock and poultry breeds that received approval.

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, presented the breed registration certificate to CAU officials during a ceremony in New Delhi, as noted by Dr. Norjit Singh.

With the inclusion of Meitei Nganu as an indigenous breed, Manipur now boasts four registered indigenous breeds at ICAR-NBAGR, including the Manipur pony, Manipur chicken Kaunayen, and Manipur black pig. Notably, Kaunayen was recognized as the 17th chicken breed in India in June 2016, primarily bred for cockfighting.

When asked about the status of the indigenous dog breed ‘Haofa’ from Ukhrul district, Dr. Norjit Singh confirmed that he has already submitted an application for its registration.

During the November meeting, a total of 13 indigenous and three synthetic livestock and poultry breeds were approved. These include Medini cattle from Jharkhand, Rohilkhandi cattle from Uttar Pradesh, Melghati buffalo from Maharashtra, Palamu goat from Jharkhand, Udaipuri goat from Uttarakhand, Nagami mithun from Nagaland, Mala chicken from Jharkhand, Kodo duck from Jharkhand, Kudu duck from Odisha, Kuttanad duck from Kerala, Manipuri duck from Manipur, Nagi duck from Assam, and Rajdigheli geese from Assam, along with synthetic breeds like Karan Fries cattle from Haryana, Vrindavani cattle from Uttar Pradesh, and Avishaan sheep from Rajasthan.

To date, the Bureau has registered a total of 242 indigenous animal breeds, which include 55 for cattle, 22 for buffalo, 43 for goats, 46 for sheep, eight for horses and ponies, nine for camels, 15 for pigs, four for donkeys, five for dogs, two for yaks, 21 for chickens, nine for ducks, two for geese, and one for mithun, along with three synthetic cattle breeds and one synthetic sheep breed.