Apprehensions of Animal Husbandry department about distress sale of cattle in the district due to drought conditions appeared to turn true as there was a large turnout of sellers at the Karunkalpalayam weekly shandy on Thursday.
Though the exact number of cattle could not be verified, there were indications that the cattle-rearers who had brought hundreds of buffaloes and cows were prepared to accept 60 to 70 % of the usual price for the cross-bred milch cows.
Though the department is doing its part by opening dry fodder depots and facilitating farmers to raise green fodder under subsidy scheme, the farmers find themselves in a situation of selling the cattle to repay debts. There is acute shortage of drinking water in areas covered by LBP, Thadapalli-Arakankottai, Kalingarayan and Mettur Right Bank canals that together account for ayacut exceeding 1.5 lakh acres in the district.
According to brokers, the trend in Karunkalpalayam has always been the barometer for the nature of transactions at the shandies in Kanagapuram, Gobi Modachur, Perundurai, Seenapuram, Sivagiri, Anthiyur, Melampadi, Sanisandai, Kavindapadi, Sathyamangalam, Siruvalur, Puliampatti, and Puduchandai.
The cost of maintaining the cows is more compared to returns from sale of milk. In fact, productivity of the cows has declined significantly over the last month, due to dry conditions. It indeed makes sense to dispose off the cattle rather than letting them starve and go weak further, sellers reasoned out.
