M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, July 21: As the drought-like situation continue to persist in Palamu, the Associate Director of the Zonal Research Center at BAU, Ranchi at Chiyanki Dr DN Singh has expressed fears that medium and marginal farmers may be forced to sell off their cattle.
He added that paddy cultivation, which is in a very large expanse of Palamu, remains a non-starter dooms.
Comparing farmers’ goats with ATM cards, Dr DN Singh said “Goats are like ATM cards. A poor owner of it sells it as fast as one draws money from the ATM. Bad times are not far. Goat owners will be leaning on their goats for money to buy food for the family.”
Mutton is Rs 600 a kilo in Daltonganj and by this account, an 8 kg goat can easily fetch around Rs 5,000 instantly.
DN Singh added men will do every possible thing to support their families but from where the cattle will find palatable grasses to live on if the dry spell prolongs. The grasses have also dried up as there is no rain.
The associate director said the administration must plan right now as to how to make fodder available to the cattle if drought sets in. In Palamu, fodder has come by goods train long ago. A truckload of fodder coming from other states is a very common sight.
