Distress sale of cattle in north Karnataka over fodder fears

Weekly cattle markets in north Karnataka are seeing a flood of bovines as anxious farmers are resorting to distress sale over fears of fodder and drinking water shortage after drought delivered a body blow to the region.

Dharwad: Weekly cattle markets in north Karnataka are seeing a flood of bovines as anxious farmers are resorting to distress sale over fears of fodder and drinking water shortage after drought ravaged the region. 

For example, the cattle market in Ranebennur, Haveri district, saw an unusual rush of bovines last weekend. Some farmers sold the animals at throwaway prices, while others returned home dejected with their cattle.

The scenes witnessed in Ranebennur are also playing out in weekly cattle fairs in Gadag, Dharwad, Bagalkot and parts of Kalyana Karnataka. 

Durgappa Pujar, a farmer from Ranebennur, was among those who tried his luck at the cattle market in the town. “This is my third visit to the cattle fair, but my pair of oxen did not get a reasonable price. The buyers are quoting Rs 35,000 to Rs 45,000, which is not even one-third of the actual price,” said a despondent Pujar.

A similar lament is on the lips of scores of other farmers. Due to the sudden rush to sell, a pair of oxen worth Rs 1.2 lakh is currently fetching only Rs 35,000 in the market.  

But the impact of drought and the increase in fodder costs have made the farmers throw up their hands in despair. In their current state of mind, farmers would rather sell them at throwaway prices than watch them starve to death. 

This year, around 180 pairs of oxen and 100 cows were brought to the weekly markets in Haveri, Dharwad and Badami but only 25% were sold.    

Progressive farmer and activist Mallikarjun Ballari from Ranebennur said there has been a shortage of fodder since the beginning of the year and there is a possibility that the situation may get worse as summer advances. “In recent years, we have not seen such a rush in the cattle market. The number of animals brought here has increased three-fold,” he said. 

But officials at the Animal Husbandry Department denied fodder shortage, saying fodder sufficient for the next 14 to 25 weeks has been procured. But this assurance has not assuaged concerns of farmers, who fear that drought may tighten its noose and lead to shortage of fodder and water. 

Apart from dry fodder, cattle need to be fed horsegram. But the price of horsegram has  been on the upswing and has hit Rs 9,000 per quintal. No small and marginal farmer is in a position to spend more with their financial condition in a mess. 

Yellappa Jogmatti, a farmer from Gadag, slammed the animal husbandry department. The department said that fodder kits and fodder would be supplied to farmers. But so far, he said, no farmer has received fodder. 

"Groundnut, green gram and soya crops sown in the kharif season have withered. We are left with no money. With no other alternative, I am here to sell a pair of oxen. Though the price of oxen is Rs 1 lakh, buyers are quoting just Rs 40,000," he said in dismay. 

Kalaburagi district has more than five lakh farmers, but, so far, fodder kits have been distributed to only 39,000 farmers. Going by the pace of the kit distribution, it would take another three to four months for the department to supply them to all cattle owners.

"By then, it will be too late. Hence, selling cattle is the only alternative," said Basappa from Kalaburagi.

Animal Husbandry Deputy Director Ravi Saligoudar said the department is purchasing fodder at Rs 11,000 per quintal and will soon distribute it to the farmers at Rs 2 per kg. He appealed to farmers not to sell their cattle.