Rediscovering ‘Kamadhenu’

Rediscovering ‘Kamadhenu’
Friday June 20 2008 11:08 IST Asha P. Nair

Holstein Friesians, the American-bred beauties, seem to be the new trendsetters in the capital. The cows are the latest fad, luring many youngsters into dairy farming, not just for milk and money, but as a means of investment too. Last heard, even NRIs have started viewing cow rearing as a safe zone for putting their savings.

Thanks to the investor cell opened by the Animal Husbandry Department, the trend surfaced after applications were invited from prospective farmers. Nearly 100 applicants from the city and its outskirts have so far expressed interest in taking up cattle-rearing. There were enquiries about rabbit-rearing and poultry too, but cows turned out to be the favourites.

Among the prospective farmers are three NRIs, who seem to tie a nostalgic tag to the animals. To the extent that one of them will fly down to the city next week from UAE to get his dream farm started.

Though all cross-breds are sought after, Holstein Friesians rank first among them. The cross-breds have a capacity to churn out 15 litres of milk per day. While one cow costs nearly Rs 25,000, most of the applicants have asked for mini-dairy units, having 10-15 of cows, which was unheard of earlier.

But the real surprise is the age group of the applicants. Most of them are between 35 and 45 years, and not retired hands seeking new engagements.

Says Ravikumar, Chief Veterinary Officer who is in charge of the investor cell: ``Gone are the days when cow was part of an old agricultural system. Its commercial possibilities are being tried out now. People with some land, at least 25 cents, be it in the city or outskirts, are the ones who have come forward to start dairy farming.’’

According to officials, while a farmer selling milk to co-operative societies like Milma earns only Rs 10-12 as profit per litre, it goes up to Rs 21 when done by individual farmers through local sales. With cows calving every year, the farm gets expanded without further investment, which is an attractive factor.

To help the farmer, the department is planning to popularise the legume variety of fodder (which can be planted between coconut and rubber trees) and azolla, a variety of algae which is high in protein content and can substitute 30 percent of cattle feed. This will make the whole affair more cost-effective and thereby more inviting, officials say.

The officials have even come up with a single window system, where all information regarding the rearing of cattle is provided. Ready-made projects for mini-dairy units await applicants here and they are connected to NABARD and other banks for pooling money to start the venture. Though majority of the applicants are from the outskirts of the city like Nedumangad, Vellarada, Vithura and Karakulam, there are applicants from within the city limits too. People residing in the heart of the city, but having property in the suburbs, too have expressed interest in the venture.