Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Analyzing the breed-wise distribution of cattle and buffalo populations helps breeders assess the success of breed preservation and genetic improvement programs.
Detailed Explanation:
Let us verify the statements using the official Breed-wise Report of the 20th Livestock Census:
Statement (I) identifies the most populous cattle breeds in India.
The census data shows that the Lakhimi breed (native to Assam) has the highest population among indigenous cattle breeds, followed by the Gir breed (native to Gujarat).
These two breeds represent a significant proportion of the total categorized cattle genetic resources.
This makes Statement (I) correct.
Statement (II) describes the categorization of the Indian buffalo population.
The buffalo population is classified into three genetic groups:
- Purebred: \( 20.3\% \), belonging to recognized breeds such as Murrah, Jaffarabadi, or Nili-Ravi.
- Graded: \( 34.3\% \), resulting from crossbreeding non-descript animals with purebreds.
- Non-descript: \( 45.4\% \), with no defined breed characteristics.
These percentages match the official census publications.
This makes Statement (II) correct.
Step 2: Final Answer:
Both Statement (I) and Statement (II) are correct.