CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) will organize a two-day Buffalo Mela to spread awareness among farmers on the best practices for buffalo rearing. The first-of-its-kind event will be organised by TANUVAS’s College of Food and Dairy Technology(CFDT), Koduveli in association with Central Cattle Breeding Farm on June 14 and June 15. Experts from the sector will interact with buffalo farmers.
The motive behind the event is to encourage women to take up buffalo farming and to provide them a source of earning. According to TANUVAS officials, Tamil Nadu has rich indigenous varieties of buffalo but the farmers are unable to reap proper benefits from them.
“The farmers are still using the traditional rearing methods due to which they are not able to produce proper quantity of milk and avoid mortality of their animals. During the two-day workshop, we will spread awareness on topics like scientific practices in rearing buffaloes and summer management, role of nutrition in enhanced productivity in buffaloes, health care of buffalo and calves,” said N Kumaravelu, dean of CFDT.
Adding to it, the farmers will also be taught to enhance their income by producing value added products from buffalo milk.To motivate farmers to take up buffalo rearing, a buffalo show will also be organised in Thiruvallur. Farmers and local villagers will showcase their buffaloes in the event and a panel of judges on the basis of health and other parameters will award buffaloes.