VIJAYAPURA: Standing next to his masculine and sturdy bull, Vidyanand Awati, its owner, was a picture of pride for possessing such a giant-size animal. The bull being about 6.5 ft tall and nearly 10 ft long, Awati wants nothing less than a whopping Rs 50 lakh for his prized possession.
Belonging to Khilari breed of bulls, Awati has brought the animal from Umarani village to find a suitable buyer at the ongoing cattle fair being organised on account of annual Siddeshwara Jatra, a famous temple festival of the district and of North Karnataka region, here.
Asked why he is quoting such an exorbitant price for his animal, Awati claims that he has raised his bull taking good care and feeding expensive cattle feed. He said that such burly cattle are used for extracting its semen for reproduction of sturdy offspring. “This is also the reason why such bulls are very expensive. By selling the semen or through insemination, the farmers can rake in a huge profit”, he said.
Like Awati, many farmers of neighbouring districts have brought such heavy and awe-inspiring masculine cattle in the fair. The farmers who are passionate about bull farming, have also come from different places to buy the animals. According to the organisers, this year, cattle owners have brought over 10,000 cattle from different places in the fair.