The once buzzling cattle market in Kankol on the Mumbai Highway now wears a deserted look. Like its owners, the cattle too are bearing the brunt of cash crunch with little food offered to them and literally no buyers.
Trade has literally stopped at this market hitting the small farmers, cattle owners and shepherds for whom it is the only sale point with buyers coming from not just Sangareddy and Medak districts but also neighbouring Karnataka and Maharashtra
Among the several affected was G. Mallanna from Sangapur in Raikod mandal who had come to sell his cattle hoping to take back Rs. One lakh, which he was in dire need for performing his daughter’s marriage. After waiting for more than five hours, his hopes were dashed as none came to buy the cattle. “There were some enquiries but they offered to pay in old currency of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 which will be difficult to exchange with banks where huge rush is being witnessed,” he said with literally tears in his eyes. He is now in a dilemma about his daughter’s marriage scheduled next month. “There seems to be no solution as of now. It is not cash crunch alone. People seem to be least interested in selling or buying.” The case of Sekhar from Kolkur village in Sadasivapet mandal was no different. He was unable to sell his 11 goats that would have fetched him anywhere between Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 50,000.
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Trade at this market has declined by more than 50 per cent due to demonetisation, say other farmers. “We have never seen such drastic fall in trade and none want to spend money for the fear of losing cash,” they said.