In order to increase wool production in India, which high yielding breed of sheep has been imported and used for cross breeding with indigenous breeds?

Introduction / Context:
India has many indigenous sheep breeds, but to improve both quantity and quality of wool production, high yielding foreign breeds have been introduced for cross breeding. Understanding which breed has been imported especially for this purpose helps in questions on animal husbandry, agriculture, and rural development, which are common in both agriculture exams and general studies papers.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The focus is on increasing wool production in India.
• We are asked specifically about an imported sheep breed.
• The options list several sheep breeds: Merino, Chokla, Magra, Bellary, and Nali.
• We assume familiarity with the fact that some of these are Indian breeds while one is a famous foreign wool breed.

Concept / Approach:
Merino sheep, originally from Spain and now bred in many countries, is world famous for its fine and high quality wool. India has imported Merino or strains of Merino for cross breeding with local sheep to improve wool yield and quality. The other breeds listed are largely Indian or regional breeds used mainly in their own ecological zones and are not the primary imported breed for this purpose. Therefore, the correct answer must be Merino.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify which of the listed breeds is globally known for superior wool quality. Step 2: Recall that Merino wool is considered premium and is used widely in fine clothing. Step 3: Recognise that India imported Merino sheep or Merino strains specifically to cross breed with indigenous breeds. Step 4: Confirm that Chokla, Magra, Bellary, and Nali are primarily Indian regional breeds, not imported foreign breeds for wool improvement. Step 5: Select “Merino” as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify by looking at agriculture and animal husbandry notes. They clearly mention that India imported Merino, including Soviet Merino strains, to enhance wool production. Descriptions of indigenous breeds such as Chokla and Magra emphasise their regional importance but do not describe them as imported. Therefore, Merino stands out as the only imported high yielding wool breed among the options.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Chokla: An Indian breed, mainly from Rajasthan, used for carpet wool, not imported as the primary foreign breed.
Magra: Another Indian breed from arid regions, important locally but not the imported high yielding wool breed in question.
Bellary: A local breed from certain Indian states, not globally famed like Merino for fine wool and not imported for this purpose.
Nali: Indigenous to parts of Rajasthan and Haryana, again not the foreign strain used in national level wool improvement programmes.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes guess an Indian sounding name assuming that imports would be less likely to appear in exam options. Another issue is mixing up which breed is famous for carpet wool and which is known for fine apparel wool. To avoid confusion, always remember that Merino is the classic imported fine wool breed and that many improvement programmes in India have used it for cross breeding.

Final Answer:
The imported high yielding breed used to increase wool production in India is the Merino sheep.