Along with agriculture, cattle farming in Madhya Pradesh has unique and critical role to boost up its overall economic scenario. Madhya Pradesh has a primitive economy. Livestock are acclaimed as a major source of livelihood of the population of Madhya Pradesh. Besides, cattle are largely used for the purpose of ploughing the fields as well as in transportation. Livestock farming is the subsidiary occupation of the people of this state along with main agricultural practices. This state of Central India is characterised by the dominance of rural settlements.

Unlike, the livestock practices in the Himalayan region, plains of Ganga and Yamuna and Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats Madhya Pradesh represents very low level of livestock practices. Mostly, drought animals are reared and they are used for agricultural purposes as a form of manure and ploughing the fields. Although, dairy farming is carried out, the state is not self sufficient in the production of milk. Rearing livestock is considered as a beneficial occupation of the populace of the state.

The variety of domestic animals used in the state of Madhya Pradesh is not diverse. Most of the animals are drought and their role in the milk production is just negligible. On the other hand, the milk animals are rarely reared and their percentage is not up to the mark as compared to other states of India. The main livestock reared in the basin are cow, buffalo, goat, sheep, horse, camel and pig. Cow is regarded as significant and it is used for milk and manure. Buffaloes, goats and sheep are mainly used for milk and its products are sold in the local market. Horses and camels are main means of transportation, particularly in the rural areas. Mostly, they carry the goods from one village to another. Pigs are also reared in some areas.

Cattle farming in Madhya Pradesh are considered a premier occupation of the area where, the economy rests on primary sector. To develop this sector as a whole, several measures have been implemented for leading the way of self-sufficiency and developed economy in the state.