CHENNAI: With the drought already having wiped away all prospects of agriculture in many parts of the State, a Chennai-based NGO has found that its impact on livestock rearing, that contributes to 40% of the agricultural GDP, has further lowered rural household income.
Magasool Trust, an NGO that works towards making agriculture viable for small and marginal farmers, has surveyed 80 dairy farmers in Dharmapuri, Salem, Ariyalur, Theni and Perambalur districts to gauge the economic impact of the drought.
According to the report, the monthly cost of maintaining a milch cow comes to Rs 4,250 on average. During drought season, the cost goes up to Rs 5,700.
The reason for increased costs, according to the report, was due to the cost of hay and green fodder shooting up by more than 40% in the State, which is short on green fodder by 21% and dry fodder by 9% during monsoon.
In the case of Meghavaram, whom the Magasool team surveyed, he and his wife had brought their herd of 150 goats to graze in Perambalur.
Meghavaram had already lost about 30% of his revenue from agriculture to the drought and also Rs 300-400 that he used to receive a night for tying his goats in fields — goat urine and dung are said to make good fertilisers.
The report quoted K Pachaimuthu, a farmer from Salem, narrating the plight of his farmer friend. When one of his cows died three months ago, the government veterinary doctor reportedly came three days after the cow had bloated up. Apart from not receiving his insurance settlement, his friend also lost the Rs 3,000 that he could have made if the dead animal had been sold to the local butcher immediately.