It has been around a year since Thai Puratchi, otherwise called the pro-jallikattu protests, erupted across Tamil Nadu with multiple groups clamouring for the lifting of the ban on the State’s bull taming tradition. And, whatever your opinion on this contentious sport is, one fact is unquestionable: it resulted in a renewed interest in the multiple breeds of cattle native to this country.
C Ganesan, who runs an experimental farm in Karur district of Tamil Nadu, admits as much. “The average cost of desi cattle went up after this. A really good-looking Kangayam bull, for instance can easily cross a lakh or so, in today’s market,” he says.
While the Kangayam cattle is primarily a draught breed, producing just enough milk for a family’s private consumption, many desi breeds of cows are excellent milkers. Not everyone can be Quimbanda Cal, the pure Gir cow from Brazil, who apparently produced an optimum daily yield of 56.17 litres of milk a day in 2011. But breeds like the aforementioned Gir, Sahiwal, Tharparkar, Rathi and Red Sindhi are known for their milking prowess. Most desi cows produce 1,600-2,500 kilograms of milk in standard home conditions per lactation cycle, admittedly lower than HF (Holstein Friesians) and Jersey purebreds and crossbreds whose yield is usually over 5,000 kilograms per cycle. “But they are highly resistant and maintenance costs are low,” says Siddharth Vijayakumaran, co-founder of Madras Milk that supplies raw, organic milk all through the city.
Milk matters
Desi cows usually produce milk rich in A2 beta-casein, which many argue, is a better version of dairy when compared to the milk of the Jersey which is a mix of both A1 and A2 or the HF which is predominantly A1.
An article by Keith Woodford, Professor of Farm Management and Agribusiness at Lincoln University in New Zealand and author of Devil in the Milk claims that there is evidence that there is a, “very high correlation between type 1 diabetes incidence (with a variation of 280-fold) and intake of A1 beta-casein (more than five-fold variation)”, though he also admits that, there is no definite proof. There is also some evidence that A1 milk leads to milk intolerance and autoimmune disorders. “A2 milk is digested more easily,” agrees Sathish Kumar of Nandhaa Dairy Farm located in Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu.
For Raja Marthandan, an MBA from XLRI, whose primary occupation today is cattle conservation and organic farming, the reasons for choosing native cattle on his Shudh Farms in Thiruporur is less complex. “You know it is not just about A1 and A2 milk,” he says. Instead, he draws on the age-old Darwinian theory of adaption that establishes a fixed relationship between an organism and its habitat.
“The Jersey cows come from the British islands of the same name. The HF cattle is from Holland,” he points out.
For centuries, they have evolved to adapt to the temperate climes of their origin and then, “all of a sudden we go pick a cow from there and bring them here for milk,” he says.
- 1. The hump on its back
- 2. The dewlap or loose fold of skin hanging below the neck
The intense heat and humidity of the region affects them and they are always sick. Also, they are often pumped with antibiotics. “How can you expect milk from a sick animal to be fit for consumption?” he says. Obviously, from that perspective, milk from an animal that has adapted to our own weather conditions will be better, believes Marthandan.
Cattle crisis
The National Bureau of Animal Genetic resources state that there are 41 registered breeds of cattle native to India. Based on their utility purpose, they are classified into milk breeds, draught breeds or dual purpose breeds. The mechanisation of farming and introduction of chemical fertilisers greatly impacted the draught breeds of cattle. “All the native breeds of Tamil Nadu are predominantly draught breeds,” says Marthandan.
Lack of fodder and grazing spaces, not much remuneration and change in mindset of people, adds to the woes of people in the cattle business, he says, adding that while not the complete solution, cattle games like Jallikattu are important today. “It sustains an interest in breeds that have been dying a slow death in the recent years. Cultural sports, create a viable demand and foster a sense of pride and ownership,” he says.
This awareness also means that people are willing to pay a price for desi milk. “When I began selling milk three years ago, people complained about the price,” says Vijayakumaran, adding that this changed after the jallikattu protests. “The price has stayed the same but now more people are switching to organic.”
There may be a number of people valiantly trying their best to conserve and promote our desi cattle but this is not a permanent solution, believes Marthandan. Native breeds are still very behind in terms of breeding and development and, “it needs to be tackled at the policy level instead of just going to Europe and getting more cows from there,” he says.
