Devastated by the drought, affected farmers are engaged in selling their livestock for a pittance in the rural areas of the district. The panic selling by the farmers has led to steep fall in the price of the cattle for the past couple of months leading to heavy financial loss to them.
The state government through the animal husbandry department has already opened 37 dry fodder depots across the district for the provision of straw and maize thrash at a subsidised rate to the farmers for the second consecutive year. But the real problem confronting the cattle farmers is the acute water scarcity prevailing in the villages.
Cattle farmers have been off-loading their livestock in a bid to avoid losing them to drought, which agricultural stakeholders have already predicted is likely to be worse than the previous years, says C. Vaiyapuri, president, United Farmers Association-Tamil Nadu. Selling the cattle, though not a solution, was one way of minimising loss, he says.
Already various parts of Salem district are facing acute drinking water scarcity and the government machinery is gearing up to meet the situation during the summer months. As such, the authorities have no time left for concentrating in provision of water for the cattle.
The cattle farmers have been grumbling for the past six months over the steep hike in the price of fodder.
According to M. G. Rajendran, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Milk Producers Welfare Association, the price of a bundle of straw has gone up to ₹ 300 from ₹ 70 and the maize thrash to ₹ 900 from ₹ 200. The price of dry fodder has risen by more than 25 %. This has hiked the production cost of the milk to a big extent, he says.
All the major weekly cattle santhais at Omalur, Konganapuram, Alampadi, Minnampalli, Veeraganur have been witnessing panic selling of cattle by farmers for the past three months. These santhais are witnessing a different scenario with a large number of farmers bringing their cattle for sale, while the strength of buyers is very few. Even the traders who turn out to the santhais for purchasing cattle are from the neighbouring states, as the traders of Tamil Nadu do not evince interest in purchasing due to the prevailing water scarcity across the state.
The farmers have no other option, but to sell them, to ensure their livelihood, says Mr. Vaiyapuri adding that a cow which was normally priced at ₹ 30,000 till a few months ago, is at present fetching a meagre price of ₹ 12,000.
The farmers have been regularly raising the issue of provision of drinking water for the cattle at the monthly grievances day meetings. But the authorities too cannot do much to mitigate the sufferings of the farmers.
Various farmers’ associations have pleaded with the authorities to get special funds from the government for reviving the defunct open wells in the district. The district accounted for a large number of open wells which are not in use. The government could desilt and deepen them, and this will go a long way in providing drinking water to the cattle, says A. R. Shanmugam, president, Panamarathupatti Yerigal Pathukappu Sangam.
“We are hit badly and our very survival has become a big question mark, due to the non-availability of water for the cattle. The government too cannot do much to come to our rescue”, laments Mr. Vaiyapuri.
