Meat
Sahiwal
C tier
Sahiwal is a reddish-brown zebu breed from the Punjab region of present-day Pakistan and India, long valued as a dual-purpose dairy and beef type in hot, dry climates. Cattle are medium-framed with loose skin, heat tolerance, and tick resistance; beef is lean to moderately marbled with a firm texture and robust flavour typical of tropical grass-finished cattle. Though world-famous primarily as a dairy zebu, Sahiwal and Sahiwal crosses supply substantial beef in South Asia, East Africa, and Australia. The breed is widely used to upgrade local stock for milk and meat under extensive tropical systems.
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Grading systems
Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
History
Red zebu cattle of the Sahiwal district in Punjab were recognised for milk yield and hardiness in the Indus basin.
British colonial breeding farms standardised Sahiwal type and distributed bulls across India and overseas tropical colonies.
Sahiwal cattle were established in East Africa, forming the basis of regional dual-purpose and beef herds.
Australian importations used Sahiwal in tropical crossbreeding for heat-adapted beef and dairy cattle.
National programmes in Pakistan conserved pure Sahiwal genetics as a premier dairy-beef zebu resource.
Sahiwal and Sahiwal-cross beef remained important in South Asian and African markets for tropical production systems.