Bad crop year forces farmers to sell off their cattle at Pushkar fair

AJMER: The effect of bad monsoon season in the state this year could be seen at the Pushkar cattle fair where farmers wanted to sell off their cattle anyhow. This time more camels came for trade in comparison to last year, while a lot of farmers from Bikaner and Nagaur even sold their camel at as low a price as Rs 8,000. The fair also higlighted the fact of how breeding business of cattle has far reduced in comparison to the last 10 years with farmers now being more comfortable with automobiles and tractors.
As per the animal husbandry department, 10,048 animals including camel, horses, bulls, cows and even some goats were brought to the fair for the purpose of sale. "The business remained low as farmers wanted to sell their cattle anyhow even at a lesser amount," said Bema Ram Jat of Nagaur. He said that because of less rainfall it was not possible for farmers to have crops twice a year and therefore they wanted to get rid of their camel.
Since last three to four years, mostly the camels and horses purchased from Pushkar fair were for the farmhouses. "Farmers of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh purchased camel and horses for their farmhouses. A lot of people from Punjab also come to the fair to buy horses for their clubs," said an agent of cattle trading.
Previously, the fair was meant for farmers from Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh and even Gujarat farmers, who purchased camel and horses for their own use or for farming. "But this time mostly farmers from Bikaner, Nagaur, Jodhpur and Ajmer wanted to sell their animals as with fewer crops maintaining cattle would be tough," said Kundan Singh, trader.
The figures of husbandry department show that in 2005 there were more than 23,000 animals registered in Pushkar fair, which reduced to some 9,900 in 2014. "We provide a ravana (slip) to all cattle owners before they enter the fair and keep every record about the animal as well as the owner. When they return, we again give them a slip, this way we get to know about the purchase or sale of the animal in the fair," said an official.
Till 2009, the number of cattle coming to the fair was nearly 20,000, but it soon started decreasing, "The main reason for this decline is that farmers are now preferring automobiles and tractors over cattle for farming," added Kundan. He said that now cattle purchasing in the fair is mostly done by those who want to own cattle for hobby or as a style statement.
In 2011 when there was good monsoon, the number of cattle participating in the fair was increased to 18 thousand but after that it started declining, "Now farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Delhi do not come in good number and therefore cattle owners do not get competitive rates, "I had a Nagauri breed five years old camel which I sold only in seven thousand because there was no good bidder this time" said Mohan Singh of Pali district.
Farmers agreed that because this time there was no good crop therefore it becomes tough to feed and maintain the cattle.
"Another reason which has affected the sale of cattle is declaring camel as the state animal followed by the strictness observed in transporting camels in large number," said a farmer from Jalore. As camel has now become the state animal, there are tough rules for transportation.
The major restriction here is that camels should not be sold to butcher house, as it is a crime now.
"Previously farmers used to bring their old and useless camel to the fair to sold the animal to such houses" further said Kundan. But husbandry department maintain that because the more use of automobiles has decreased the importance of cattle in the arid regions of the state, "We are providing every facility to the farmers here but now number of buyers has decreased as they do not wanted to purchase cattle" said an official.
The district administration started the cattle fair this time on 12 of November and started check out on 22 of November, "Still there are good number of farmers who are waiting to sale their animal in the fair after the checkout has started" said a source. " I was demanding 30 thousand for my camel but getting only 11 thousand as a last bid, I am waiting to get some more for it" said a farmer from Jhunjhunu.