Farmers resort to distress sale of cattle as water sources dry up, fodder price surges in Karnataka

Asundi village is located near Gadag city, where a recently held fair saw several farmers selling their cattle. Among them was Yellappa Muthlokotu, a resident of the village with around 900 families.

He had bought an oxen two years ago for Rs 90,000. “We keep the cattle for four to five years. This year, I had to sell the two oxen I had,” he said, noting that he is still rearing cows.

“How can we take care of the oxen when there isn’t enough fodder or water?” he asked. The price fetched by his two oxen at the market — Rs 55,000.

Another resident of the same village in the drought-affected region, Nandeeshwar Thappathapp said that he had sold two cows a couple of months ago as drought conditions made it harder to look after the animals. “I sold one cow for Rs 8,500 and another for Rs 6,500. I am left with a cow and a calf,” he said.

As many farmers have sold their oxen due to hardships caused by floods over the last three years and drought this year, farmers from Asundi are renting oxen to prepare land for sowing. Manjunath Kumbar, a farmer from the village, said rents are charged at a premium during the sowing season, piling additional burdens on small and medium farmers.

Asundi is not an isolated case, according to Malthesh Pujara of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha of the neighbouring Haveri district. “There is no water in the lakes. When people don’t have enough water to drink, how can they manage their cattle?” he asked.

Fodder is sparse and 25-kg dried paddy straw is being sold at Rs 250, he said.

However, the state government recently said that presently there is “no dearth or shortage of fodder”. A problem was identified “only in Chitradurga” where three gaushalas (cowsheds) were started.

Directions were also issued to address the problem at the hobli (cluster of villages) level. “Tenders are called in advance for purchase of fodder,” a note from the Chief Ministers’ Office had said.