COIMBATORE: In a deeply concerning trend, rekla races in the Kongu region are seeing a gradual rise in the participation of non-native bull breeds.
“Rekla races are witnessing a growing use of Hallikar and Amrit Mahal bullocks sourced from Karnataka. While these bulls may deliver short-term competitive advantages, the trend weakens efforts to promote indigenous breeds and poses a serious threat to the long-term survival of Kangayam cattle,” said Karthikeya Sivasenapathy, managing trustee of Senaapathy Kangayam Cattle Research Foundation in Tirupur. He is also the secretary of DMK’s environment wing.
However, the rekla race organisers contend that permitting such bulls helps to demonstrate the superiority of native breeds.
“By competing against breeds from Karnataka, our farmers have shown that Tamil Nadu’s indigenous Kangayam bull remains the best. Even last year, the top three prizes were won by Kangayam bulls. The value of our native breed increases only when multiple breeds take part in the racing event,” said S Jaya Prakash, an organiser of rekla races.
Even now, nearly 70 per cent of the bulls competing in rekla races are of the Kangayam breed, while the rest are Hallikar bulls, an indigenous breed from Karnataka, but also reared in Salem and Dharmapuri districts. Yet, it's mostly the Kangayam bulls that emerge victorious
-- S Jaya Prakash, Race organiser
"Even now, nearly 70 per cent of the bulls competing in rekla races are of the Kangayam breed, while the rest are Hallikar bulls, an indigenous breed from Karnataka, but also reared in Salem and Dharmapuri districts. Yet, it's mostly the Kangayam bulls that emerge victorious in racing events due to their superior strength and endurance," he added.
In practice, organisers claim that it may be difficult to limit rekla races exclusively to native breeds alone, as farmers from Tamil Nadu also participate in races being held in neighbouring Kerala and Karnataka. The first race of this year, held in Pollachi on Sunday during the Pongal season, saw the participation of bulls from other states.
Meanwhile, the Tirupur-based Rekla Thalamai Sangam asserted that it strictly follows a policy of allowing only native bull breeds in its races. “Only our own Kangayam bulls and the Alambadi breed from Dharmapuri are permitted to participate. With the growing popularity of the sport, the number of participants has risen from around 150 in the past to over 500 today,” said M Karthick of Rekla Thalaimai Sangam Tamilnadu (RTST).
Adding to these concerns, the growing use of sex sorted semen technology continues to pose a serious threat to the genetic diversity of cattle.
“Already, the share of indigenous cattle in India has fallen steeply from 70 per cent in 1951 to just 36 per cent in 2019. In contrast, the population of crossbred cattle has risen sharply during the same period, increasing from one per cent to 28 per cent. Under natural conditions, a cow has an equal likelihood of giving birth to a male or female calf. However, with the use of semen sorting technology, chromosomes are separated in laboratories, enabling upto a 90 per cent of the offspring to be female calves,” said Karthikeya Sivasenapathy.
