The Kannapuram annual cattle shandy in Tiruppur district ended on a dull note this year because of the Model Code of Conduct of the Election Commission that imposes restriction on cash possession, according to the rearers.
This time around, the sale was confined to calves at the shandy that takes place for sale of native cattle breeds, mostly the Kangayam cattle, coinciding with the annual car festival of the Mariamman Temple.
With the limit for cash possession set at below ₹ 50,000, the buyers chose to purchase calves for amounts ranging from ₹ 20,000 to ₹ 25,000, according to the farmers.
Not more than 3,000 heads of native breed cattle were brought to the market from rearers in Pollachi, Udumalpet, parts of Erode and the rest of the Kongu region, and lesser than 2,000 were sold to buyers from the delta and southern districts, according to Surendran, a farmer belonging to Alagumalai in the district.
Several farmers ended up spending amounts up to ₹ 5,000 for transporting the adult cattle and keeping them for sale at the sheds on daily rental basis, only to take them back.
For, there was no way the transaction could be conducted for the bulls and cows that commanded a minimum of ₹ 1 lakh each, Mr. Surendran pointed out.
The cause for concern this year was the lesser amounts for which the calves were sold. The price for a calf was down by at least ₹3,000, he said.
The decline in the number of buyers was also noticeable, according to the farmers.
According to officials, the decline in business ahead of the Lok Sabha election was only on expected lines.
The demand for the Kangayam breed coming in three colours – brown, white, black and a combination of the three, nevertheless, will remain as there is still a large section of farmers in the delta districts who utilise more than 50 percent of the cattle they purchase at the shandy as draught animals, an official said.
