While the average farmer is selling his cattle at a throwaway price unable to feed it following severe drought for the third year in succession, breeders of the world famous Ongole bull rear it with a zeal to make big money.
The pure breed of Ongole cattle ( Bos indicus ) has flourished on the tracts between Gundalakamma and Musi rivers for centuries.
However, the breed is gradually vanishing in its land of origin, even as farmers elsewhere in the world, particularly Brazil, are rearing it in a big way for dairy products.
Under pressure to cut costs, the farmers have dumped the indigenous bull and prefer tractors for cultivation.
But progressive farmers in the district train the majestic bulls for racing events held at frequent intervals and, in the process, make handsome gains by selling their prized beasts.
A well-bred pair of Ongole bulls fetches anywhere between ₹ 40 lakh and ₹ 50 lakh, says G. Sai Babu, who organises boulder pulling competition at Madiralapadu every year during summer.
Calves with superior characteristics are obtained by mating bulls and cows and fed with a special diet comprising, among other things, horse gram, finger millet, dried coconuts and palm dates, says Chandrasekhar, a bull breeder, who spends close to ₹ 1 crore every year to maintain his cattle farm at Madirala.
The beautiful bovines are housed in airy cowsheds and protected from excessive heat by giving showers in two to three spells every day, and by operating ceiling fans and air coolers when the situation demands, explains a bull trainer Suresh, proudly parading his well-trained pets.
How they practise
The practice session for the bulls includes sprinting and boulder pulling under the watchful eyes of eight to 10 trainers both in the morning and evening.
“The bulls are even given tender coconut and glucose water after a energy-sapping workouts,” adds another bull trainer K. Krishna, getting ready for an absorbing contest in the temple town of Markapur.
The State government should sponsor special cattle shows and racing events for the farmers to evince interest in rearing the bulls, they plead.
