Telangana: After a lull, cattle traders back in business

Hyderabad: After a gap of two years due to Covid restrictions on annual cattle fairs, the horse breeders and traders from Telangana are back in business and participating in the annual fairs in different places. At the recently held animal fair in Malegaon in Loha taluka of Nanded district in Maharashtra, several traders attended the […]

Hyderabad: After a gap of two years due to Covid restrictions on annual cattle fairs, the horse breeders and traders from Telangana are back in business and participating in the annual fairs in different places.

At the recently held animal fair in Malegaon in Loha taluka of Nanded district in Maharashtra, several traders attended the event held annually. “It is a 400-year-old fair and animal traders from across the country attend it. For the last two years, it was not held due to Covid 19 restrictions. However, this year it was held on a smaller scale,” said Mohd Aamair Khan, who trades in horses and also supplies it for marriage functions.

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Many traders from the city also camped at the ‘Indapur cattle fair’ held near Pune in Maharashtra. “Cattle fairs are held across the country round the year and many horse breeders from Telangana participate. Camels, cows, buffaloes and goats are also sold there,” said Shaik Tajuddin, of Jummerat Bazaar, who visits the fairs to buy horses.

Those into the business from various districts of Telangana particularly from Hyderabad and its surroundings, visit the animal fairs to sell or buy the horses. “Dairy farm owners in the city also rear and breed horses as a hobby. A horse, depending upon the breed, colour, height and other specifications, is priced between Rs 50,000 and Rs 4 lakh,” said Syed Omer, of Akram Dairy Farm. On sale are different horses – from Marwari, Deccani, Kathiawari to Sindhi, etc.

Horses are also trained to offer rides, dance and perform stunts. “Price at times depends on the work the horse can do. The ones which can dance are sought by those supplying horses for functions,” he adds.

The Covid had hit the business badly. “In the first lockdown, several breeders sold off the animal for even Rs. 20,000 as they were unable to provide fodder. Few had left the animals to graze in the forest areas and some people had just winded up their vocation,” recalled Mohd Aamair adding the situation now was slowly returning to normal.

The biggest animal fair in the country is held in Pushkar in Rajasthan in the month of November while several other fairs are held in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar.

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