Efforts on to save Pulikulam cattle breed
From 90,000 in the year 1995, the population of the breed in Madurai region has come down to 21,225 in 2012
Pulikulam cattle, an indigenous breed with distinct
characteristics and known for its valour in ‘jallikattu’ (bull-taming
sports), is on the verge of extinction.
Only last
year, thanks to the persistent efforts of Sustainable Agriculture and
Environmental Voluntary Action (SEVA), this breed received recognition
from the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR), Karnal,
Haryana, thereby making it the 35th registered indigenous cattle breed
in the country.
As per a survey, the population of
Pulikulam cattle in and around Madurai has drastically come down from
90,000 in the year 1995 to 45,000 in 2006 to 21,225 in 2012. The number
of places where the cattle was reared is also shrinking.
A
workshop conducted by the SEVA here on Wednesday gave hope to the
preservation of the breed as herders, officials and veterinarians
decided to implement an action plan to restore the glory of Pulikulam
cattle breed. “Since it is not a milch animal, the attention given to
other animals by the Animal Husbandry Department is missing in the case
of Pulikulam cattle,” says P. Vivekanandan, executive director, SEVA.
The
accreditation from NBAGR was obtained after a characterisation study
was done by the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University to
describe the features of this cattle variety and subsequently SEVA
applied for registration of the animal as new breed.
Farmers frustrated
Farmers
who rear this cattle are a frustrated lot as grazing has become a
luxury. They complain that the Forest Department was not permitting them
to take their animals into forest area for grazing. S. Mahalingam (40)
of Thenpalanji, whose family has been rearing Pulikulam cattle for the
last seven generations, herds over 700 cattle on the dry ‘kanmoi’ in
Tirupparankundram on a hot Wednesday afternoon.
He
says, “We are victims of nature, there are no rains and no water for
these animals. The drought conditions have made things worse. I don’t
want my children to suffer like this. I’ve told them to study well in
school so that they could find jobs.”
Herders like
Mahalingam and P. Krishnan of Manapatti take their Pulikulam cattle
where there is grass and water. “Our income is meagre and the
maintenance cost has gone up. Sometimes, we sell the calf and make
money,” says Krishnan, a fifth generation herder in his family.
According
to a SEVA report, this breed is concentrated in Thenpalanji,
Vadapalanji, Chettikulam, Perumalpatti, Melakkal, Vadipatti, Manapatti,
Idayapatti and Nilaiyur.
The cattle herders take
their animals to distant places and for several months they will be away
from home. Trained for bull taming events, the Pulikulam cattle are
fierce and disease resistant and used for ploughing.
Grazing rights
Mr.
Vivekanandan appealed to the forest department and district
administration to give grazing rights to pastoralists as Madurai has
expanded and there was no place for animals to graze.
“With
the Pulikulam cattle having been registered at the national level, this
distinct breed must be conserved. We have lined up awareness programmes
to promote it in a big way,” he added.
Interestingly,
Pulikulam village, after which the cattle origin is identified, is
situated in Manamadurai taluk of Sivaganga district.
But this cattle breed is identified more with the Madurai region as the community that rears the animal belong to the latter.
A think-tank has been formed to save the cattle breed.
It
comprises of B. Muruganandham, Professor and Head, Veterinary
University Training and Research Centre, Madurai, Prof. Rajendran of
TANUVAS, A. Maheswaran, Assistant Director, Cattle Breeding and Fodder
Development, Department of Animal Husbandry, and Jeyasingh Gnanadurai,
Joint Director (Agriculture).
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/efforts-on-to-save-pulikulam-cattle-breed/article4832578.ece
Shock to hear one more breed in the verge of ext.
ReplyDeleteB. Rathinasabapathy