There have been complaints from farmers in the district that cooperative societies hesitate or refuse to forward loans for purchase of native breed milch cows.
The reasoning of this small section of farmers is that though the productivity of native breed cows is much lower than the hybrid ones, the milk is sold for a premium.
Owing to increasing awareness about health properties of milk of native breed cows, people in the upper echelons of society are prepared to pay more.
At a few booths in Erode, Gobi and Perundurai, the milk of native breed cows is sold for prices ranging from ₹ 60 to₹100 a litre, farmers said.
The supply is quite limited, since milk yield of a native breed cow does not normally exceed two litres a day, compared to five to six litres yield by hybrid breeds. And hence, the entire milk gets sold in a matter of hours in the few booths.
Yet, there is hesitation on the part of the cooperative societies to finance purchase of native breed cows since the niche customers for the milk are confined to urban pockets.
Having native breed cows in villages closer to urban areas does make economic sense. But, the viability of rearing native breed cattle in interior rural parts is bleak in the absence of a proper supply chain, according to an official.
Another section of farmers says the apprehension of the creditors is reasonable.
Sale of milk of native breed cows takes place entirely based on the trust factor. Testing of quality standards is simply impossible. In fact, one cannot determine purity of milk of native breed based on taste, Subi Thalapathy, functionary of Thadapally-Arakankottai Canals Ayacut Farmers’ Association, said, adding: “The native breed cows will have to be let out free for grazing. If the farmers end up having more number of native breed cows and rear them in the pattern of hybrid cows, there will not be any significant difference in the health properties of the milk.”
