A marketing facility recently launched by a few cattle lovers attached to Palayakottai Pattigar Cattle Farm and Research Centre (PPCFRC), near Kangayam, is gaining popularity for its sheer novelty.
Started earlier this month as a weekly platform for exclusively trading genetically pure Kangayam cattle breed on all Sundays, the promoters are now extending the market space to sell value-added products manufactured from Kangayam cattle’s milk, dung and urine from next Sunday.
Besides this, the market from next Sunday onwards will act as a collection point for highly nutritious A2 variety milk of ‘Kangayam breed’ cows.
“Apart from the salient feature of being probably the only market exclusively for any specific breed of cattle in the State, the other facilities like collection point for A2 milk and sale point for value-added products will help farmers fetch premium prices for the products”, pointed out V. Sivakumar, one of the trustees of the centre.
He added that the market concept was mooted by Nalla Thambi Sarkarai Manradiar (70), founder of PPCFRC, and grandson of Rai Bahadur Nalla Thambi Sarkarai Manradiar, who was credited with evolving Kangayam breed of cattle from nondescript cattle.
The market functions on a two-acre expanse provided by Naveen Manradiar, another trustee.
“We ensure that only genuine farmers and traders purchase the cattle so as to prevent the animals from being taken for slaughter”, said Mr. Sivakumar.
According to him, trading has improved with every week and a pair of cows even fetched a sale price of Rs. 3.4 lakh this Sunday.