THOOTHUKUDI: Business at the Ettayapuram cattle shandy remained lukewarm on Saturday as heavy rain affected cattle inflow and inflated livestock prices. The goat and sheep market recorded transactions worth Rs 6 crore this week, compared to last year’s Rs 8 crore.
The weekly shandy, held every Saturday, usually draws hundreds of farmers and traders from nearby districts, including Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Virudhunagar, Ramanathapuram, Theni, and Coimbatore.
During festival season, the market typically sees sales touching Rs 9 crore against the usual Rs 2 crore on regular weeks.
The cattle grown in the dry and rainfed region of Vilathikulam, Kayathar, Ettayapuram, and Pudur have a good demand in the market. However, the cattle inflow was very low as farmers were reluctant to sell due to heavy rain. The sales were about Rs 6 crore, traders said.
As the region witnessed severe rain for the past three days, the participation of farmers was less. It is also attributed to the inflation in cost. “A lamb weighing 10 kg costs around Rs 8,000 as against the previous cost of Rs 6,000,” said a cattle trader.
