Youngsters get bullish on native breeds

The jallikattu protests may be over but the spotlight on the indigenous bull continues, as demand for native breeds like Kangayam, Umblachery and Bargur has skyrocketed. Breeders say they have received a spate of enquiries from young professionals, keen on owning or sponsoring a native bull. 

EN Sivasenapathy, President of Bargur Hill Cattle Breeders’ Association in Erode district, revealed that the enquiries have doubled over the last few days, after the jallikattu protests brought in an increased awareness on the indigenous breeds. The average cost of a native bull starts from Rs 15,000 for a calf and goes up to 30,000 for an adult bull. “Earlier, we would get five calls per day. Now, we get around 10-15 calls, mostly from people who are keen to start farming or those who hail from agriculture backgrounds but now hold IT jobs in the cities. Some were interested to buy a bull for jallikattu,” he said.  

Breeders across other districts too have experienced this upsurge in interest. They have directed the enthusiastic first-timers to the weekend sandhais (markets) conducted in the villages. KB Janakiram, President of Umblachery Native Breeders Association said many city-based techies are thinking of returning to their agricultural roots. “We have got many enquiries from people working in cities like Chennai, Madurai, Tiruchy and many others. They want to buy a native bull for the farm back in their villages. After 2012, the interest in native breeds like Umblachery shot up, thanks to organic farming. After the jallikattu protests, we are getting anywhere between 10-20 calls and WhatsApp enquiries daily,” he said. 

Urban agriculturists too have been besieged by enthusiastic queries over the last week. Rohit Kalingarayar, an agriculturist by profession, said that youngsters should research on the cost required to maintain a native bull, before plunging into the decision emotionally. “Bulls need space – you need at least 900 sq ft to maintain two bulls, factor in the quantity of fodder required to feed them and take into consideration other expenses such as medication,” said this wildlife photographer, whose family has been into agriculture for generations. 

Rohit, who owns Kangayam bulls on his farmland, said it is an interesting experience to rear these animals. “Bulls are really clever and understand what you’re trying to say. Some bulls are possessive, and get angry when they see another breed,” related the 31-year-old agriculturist. 

An increasing number of professionals, originally from other parts of Tamil Nadu, harbour hopes of returning to their native towns and villages after a few years at the IT firms, to till their ancestral agricultural land. Madhankumar Rajeswaran, 36, is working as an engineering manager at a city-based organisation. He cherishes dreams of returning to his agricultural roots. He teamed up with his like-minded colleague Gowtham Shanmukam, a 37-year-old software architect in the same company, to start velaansand hai.com, an online portal to sell native species of bulls, goats, sheep, chicken as well as pets such as dogs and doves. Their site saw a spike in the number of visitors, who were checking out the native bull breeds up for sale. “The site is a platform where breeders can sell the animals and buyers can get in touch with the sellers. Over the last few days, we are getting over 400 visitors to our site per day, thanks to the awareness created by the jallikattu protests. With growing interest in agriculture among youths, we will soon be putting up products like seeds, fertilisers, and other agricultural equipment on the site,” said the part-time livestock enthusiast, who is rearing roosters and hens back in his hometown. 

While the idea of owning a native bull may seem noble, breeders warn that indigenous breeds don’t thrive too well in a city’s congested atmosphere. “When compared to exotic breeds, native bulls fare better. However, indigenous bulls require a lot of land to graze. This makes them ill-suited to city climes,” said Janakiram. The ideal situation, said Madhankumar, is to rear the bull alongside other agricultural activities. “Fodder expenses make it unsustainable for many, in the long run. Ideally, one should have a grazing space at their disposal or generate the feed for livestock in their own farms, for a profitable venture,” he explained.