Buffalo, not cow, the first choice of farmers

While the BJP government has been promoting cows, farmers and animal scientists bet on the buffalo for providing a sustainable and self-dependent option to the farmer.
Inderjit Singh, Director, Central Institute of Research on Buffaloes (CIRB), said the animal husbandry had been the basis of the sustainable economy for the farmer. It had provided food security, financial support and employment to the land owners as well as landless farmers, he said during a buffalo fair here today.
Singh said, “The animal husbandry is set for a major boom in the years to come as the demand for milk is rising at 10-12 per cent per year, while the milk yield is growing at a mere 4 per cent annually.” “But there has been negligible improvement in the milk yield of buffaloes in the last four decades which needs to be improved. We have been working towards improving the breed of Murrah which is the finest buffalo breed,” he said.
Dr RS Dalal, Secretary, Haryana Kisan Ayog, said though cows had a low maintenance cost, but farmers were not able to earn a living which had turned them towards the buffalo rearing. “If the cow is ‘mata’ (mother), then the buffalo is like a ‘dadi’ (grandmother) for the farmer. Cow rearing has proved to be financially unviable, so they have a better option in buffalo rearing. Haryana has the best buffalo bread of Murrah which is considered as black gold,” he said. The government should promote Murrah which had the potential to bail the farmers out of the crisis in the fields, he added.
Farmers, too, maintained that rearing buffaloes and bulls had been a better option. “We have a source of supplementary income from the buffalo along with agriculture. In case of crop failure, the buffalo supports the family,” said Kapoor Singh of Singhwa Khas village. The sale of semen straw of the good quality Murrah bull has also emerged a good business in villages.