Water buffalo, whether it belongs to the swamp or river type, is an important
animal resource aside from cattle, whose great potential as source of products of animal
origin and as a tool for research has been widely recognized. With a population of
about 168 million, buffaloes are widely distributed in many countries around the world,
mainly in the Asian continent as an important source of milk, meat, hide and draft
power. This paper presents the history, world distribution, breeds, the characteristics of
the two types of buffaloes, and the genetic improvement achieved in this species.
Keywords: Breed, Crossbreeding, Draft, Milk, River and swamp buffalo.
