Ongole bulls’ forced run to the abattoirs

Prolonged dry spell forces farmer-owners to part with their prized possessions

The famed Ongole bulls have a pride of place and passion in the farmers’ lives here. But they are now clueless about maintaining them as Prakasam district has been in the grip of drought for the sixth year in a row exacerbating the agrarian crisis.

Hobson’s choice

“We have no option but to part with our herd of cattle in the wake of ever increasing cost of fodder. The available water is not enough even to meet even our basic needs,” says Duddukuri Malakondaiah from Botlaguduru village with a heavy heart as farm workers put a pair of Ongole bulls on a truck for sale in the Singarayakonda cattle market.

It was between the rivers of Gundalakamma and Paleru, the world famous Ongole cattle thrived for centuries. But the long drought run has put paid the Ongole bulls’ run.

“We were hoping against hope that the southwest monsoon will bring bountiful rains. But it has belied our hopes so far,” laments another farmer Golla Malyadri.

“We have no means to feed the heads of cattle in our farm as a bundle of hay costs ₹ 110 each and two bundles are required for each bull per day,” adds his wife Venkayyamma unable to come to terms with her husband's decision to send the milch animals to the slaughter house.

Hundreds of trucks move heads of cattle to abattoirs in cities like Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai every day from animal markets in places like Singarayakonda, Maddipadu, S.N.Padu, Markapur in the district even after the worst summer months have passed.

Earlier, they used to part with old and infirm cattle to keep the productive ones in good condition. But they are selling even the productive ones with the price of hay touching the roof. There is no hope of its price coming to reasonable level till paddy harvest in the Krishna delta region, they add.

Fodder scarce, costly

“Fodder has become a scarce commodity as farmers coming under the Nagarjunasagar command area did not get adequate Krishna water during the last cropping season,” says Vadde Srinivas, who unsuccessfuly entered the poll fray in Varanasi against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Veligonda Project Sadhana Samithi planned to mobilise farmers for a big stir once the current Assembly session gets over to speed up the work on the twin tunnels as no farm activity can be sustained especially in the western parts of the district, he added.

“With just eight days of rain the district registered 68.2 mm rainfall so far, a deficit of 39.7%. As a result, the crop coverage in the district was a mere 2% of the total cropped area of 2.63 lakh hectares,” pointed out Agriculture Joint Director P.V.Sriramamurthy.