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K. Raju

Good response to annual cattle shandy at Vadamadurai Good response to annual cattle shandy at Vadamadurai

CALCULATIVE EFFORT: A prospective buyer finding the age of a bull by counting its teeth at the cattle shandy in Vadamadurai. — Photo: G. Karthikeyan

Dindigul: Even as many areas of farming activities are getting mechanised, reducing the need for labour, farmers could not totally neglect bulls, which are used for ploughing and transporting farm produces from the field.

Selling prices of a pair of young and well-built bulls have been hovering between Rs.45,000 and Rs.70,000 depending on its strength, age, its appearance and robustness.

Hundreds of bulls were brought to the cattle market held in Vadamadurai recently. Bulls from various places in Dindigul and neighbouring districts were available for sale at the market. Cows and young calves too were among them.

The age of the bull was assessed with the number of teeth. Even as the average life of a bull was around 20 years, a bull would be ready for work when it is three or four years old. It could be used for at least for 15 years, farmers said.

While calves of bulls were sold for Rs.1,000 or Rs.2,000, the demand for cows was also high. Farmers were ready to offer up to Rs.45,000 for milching cows. Cattle sellers have to pay Rs.15 as cess to display their cattle in the market.

The cattle shandy is organised every year during the 13-day Adi festival of Sri Soundararaja Perumal Temple in the town.

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