Shaik Ahammad a farmer from Taddanpally in Pulkal mandal of Medak district, has an acre of land and had purchased a pair of bullocks for Rs.50,000 last year for cultivation hoping rains would improve his financial condition. But, the nature did not cooperate and his financial condition deteriorated in the past one year.
On Monday, he was at the cattle market to sell his bullocks.
He was offering to sell them for Rs. 35,000, but there were no-takers.
Pochaiah was another farmer from Ralapet in Jogipet mandal with two acres. He was having three cattle yielding milk. He put one of his cattle for sale. The price, he had put was Rs. 56,000 stating that it gives eight litres of milk. But buyers bargained for just Rs. 30,000!
“What we can do? If no one comes forward to buy, we have to return home and come next week to sell the cattle,” said Shaik Ahammad. He says depending on the requirement of family they were being forced to sell the cattle to meet the expenditures.
While these two farmers are from Medak district, Gopal Reddy is from neighbouring Shankarampet in Ranga Reddy district, who also came here to sell his cattle.
“Hope that I can sell my cattle and return home with some cash. I have to clear some debts,” said Gopal Reddy.
Some of the cattle put for sale were allegedly sick and skinny. Though the Animal Husbandry Department made claims that it had distributed fodder seed and constructed water troughs, at many places the water was not filled in them as the sources had dried up. The same was the reason for not using fodder seed.