The Government has decided to down the shutters on the only cattle breeding farm in the State.
The 46 cattle, including 20 pure Deoni breed, at the farm in this village near Zaheerabad are to be auctioned in the next few weeks. In all probability these animals would end up at the mechanised slaughter house in the district.
The cattle breeding farm was established in 1980 with an intention to promote Deoni breed that is native to Zaheerabad in Telangana, Bidar in Karnataka and Latur in Maharashtra. Deoni is small village located near Bidar and all these areas were under the rule of Nizams. “Deoni cattle are having unique genetic material and hardy animal with majestic features. They have drooping ears, bulged forehead and body colour is spotted black and white. The animal can survives severe drought conditions. This breed needs to be promoted on the lines of Ongole breed. We had sent a proposal to the Union Government for research station at an estimated cost of 7 crore under Gokul Gram scheme,” Dr. Lakshma Reddy, Additional Director, Animal Husbandry, told The Hindu .
The Government of Karanataka has a breeding and research centre in neighbouring Bidar district while the centre here is being closed down.
The State Government has completely neglected the farm and slowly started withdrawing the staff and now there is only one veterinary doctor and six labourers. For the past one year even the budget was not sanctioned for the farm. The farm management asked a mechanised slaughter house (Allana) to pay ₹36,000 for feed and maintenance of the animals during summer. The farm authorities proposed that the purebred cattle be donated to three Goshalas located at Zaheerabad, Beeramguda and Patancheru. However, a senior official from Hyderabad turned down the proposal and directed them to auction the animals. “Once auctioned they may end up at slaughter houses,” said a veterinarian.
