Unseasonal rain during this summer has sustained the green cover on a large tract of grazing land in rural parts of the Tiruchi and Karur districts bringing cheer to the cattle rearers.
Besides the summer period of April and May, the period from June to September is considered as a dry period by those rearing cattle. It may extend up to the onset of northeast monsoon.
During this period, farmers find it difficult to feed cattle due to drying up of grazing area.
Poromboke land
They have to depend on open and poromboke lands, located close to waterways for grazing.
There were instances of cattle growers, who rear sheep and goats, moving to neighbouring areas in search of green pasture.
However, they have got a break from the practice during this year due to excellent rain in the summer months.
A large tract of land, which is yet to be ploughed for the next cropping season, looks green with the growth of grass.
Besides the delta irrigated areas including Musiri, Kulithalai, green pasture is seen in dry areas like Thuraiyur, Thogamalai, Ayyarmalai, Aravakurichi and others.
“The availability of green grass on grazing fields makes our job easy.
The cattle eat enough grass within four to five hours of grazing. It is unusual in the current season,” said a farmer in Nangavaram.
In view of the possibility of opening of Mettur dam in the near future and onset of northeast monsoon, he said there would be no shortage of fodder until February 2016. Most of the farmers said the average yield of milk of milch animals had gone up due to healthy intake of food.
