India prepares nationwide online livestock marketplace on Bharat Pashudhan Portal
India’s animal husbandry department is updating the Bharat Pashudhan Portal to let farmers buy and sell cattle, buffaloes, goats and other livestock across the country. Listings will include identification, age, milk-production capacity, breeding history and photographs.
National marketplace to connect livestock owners
India’s animal husbandry department is preparing an electronic marketplace on the Bharat Pashudhan Portal where farmers will be able to buy and sell cattle, buffaloes, goats and other livestock across the country. Jagran reports that the portal is being updated for the new service, which is expected to reduce the need for buyers to travel long distances in search of suitable animals.
Livestock owners currently travel between major breeding and dairy-producing states to source animals. Buyers seeking buffaloes may visit Punjab and Haryana, while farmers looking for indigenous cattle breeds often travel to Rajasthan and Gujarat. The proposed marketplace would bring listings from different regions into one national system, allowing buyers to compare available animals before contacting their owners.
Identification and production records underpin listings
Sellers will be able to upload photographs and information about each animal. According to Jagran, a listing will include the animal’s age, milk-production capacity and full calving record. These details are particularly relevant for dairy farmers assessing expected output, reproductive history and the suitability of an animal for their herd.
Each animal will carry a tag, and its registration number will serve as its identification on the platform. Dr SK Mishra, additional director grade 2 for the animal husbandry department’s Prayagraj division, said the Bharat Pashudhan Portal was being updated in line with the planned system. Linking marketplace listings to registered animals could make offers easier to verify and give buyers a more consistent basis for comparison.
Village-level support will be provided through panchayat assistants, who are being appointed as Panchayat Nodal Officers. They will receive portal identities and passwords and will register livestock owners and update animal records. Registered owners will also be able to submit their own requests to sell animals. Once a buyer selects an animal, the buyer and owner will contact each other to complete the transaction.
Dairy breeds could reach buyers beyond state borders
The initiative could be especially relevant in districts where dairy farming is becoming a commercial activity. Livestock production takes place across all eight tehsil areas of Prayagraj district, with the Gangapar region leading local development. Farmers in Soraon, Handia and Phulpur are placing greater emphasis on the breeds of their milking animals.
Popular cattle in the district include Holstein Friesian crosses, Jersey crosses and indigenous Sahiwal, Gir, Tharparkar and Haryana breeds. Murrah buffaloes have the strongest demand among buffalo breeds. These dairy animals are supplied from Gorakhpur as well as Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat, illustrating the interstate movement already involved in herd development.
A national digital catalogue could widen access to that supply and improve price discovery by giving farmers more animals to compare. It may also lower search and travel costs, particularly for small producers who rely on local intermediaries or distant livestock markets. However, the report does not specify arrangements for online payments, transport, veterinary inspection or dispute resolution. The marketplace’s practical impact will therefore depend on the accuracy of its records, participation by sellers and the services available after buyers identify an animal.