Demand for native cow breeds goes up

Though considered to be low-milk yielding, native cattle breeds, referred to as “nattu pasu” in local parlance, have been in good demand in the market of late.

The average milk production of the native breed is said to be only around just two litres a day. However, it costs around ₹60,000 -70,000 in the market as more and more people are moving towards having milk from native breeds of cattle.

Though cattle shandies in the State are yet to open following their closure due to the pandemic, traders and middlemen regularly visit various villages around Manapparai to buy nattu pasu for their customers. They look for indigenous breeds named after “Manapparai”, “Umbulacheri”, “Kangeyam” and “Burgur”. The growing popularity and demand of milk from native breeds is said to have kindled interest among the affluent to rear them in their houses.

“The demand for native cattle breeds has gone up drastically in the recent past. There are affluent urban customers, who are ready to invest ₹75,000 for getting just 2 litre of milk produced by nattu pasu,” said Ponnusamy, a cattle trader in Manapparai.

He said people, mainly actors, politicians, academicians, businessmen, who have farm houses and home gardens in Chennai, Coimbatore, Kancheepuram, Erode, Tiruppur, Dindigul and other industrial towns and cities have been showing interest to rear nattu pasu for getting high quality milk for their personal use.

S. Ganesh Kumar, a veterinarian in Tiruchi, said that the productivity of native breeds was very low. However, some believe that the milk of native breeds has good health benefits than that of exotic species or cross breeds. The demand for milk produced by native breeds was going up especially among affluent people leading to demand for rearing native breeds.