MILK OF PUNGANUR BREED OF COW SELLS AT Rs. 2000 A LITRE

MILK OF PUNGANUR BREED OF COW SELLS AT Rs. 2000 A LITRE

25-JUNE-ENG 15

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA----------------------------Sonbhadra, Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswati are being discussed a lot these days in Bhojpur, Bihar. Whoever comes to meet them, gets mesmerized by seeing them. These four have become the apple of people's eyes. This is the reason why people come from far and wide to see them. Actually we are talking about the 'Punganur' breed of cow, whose milk is sold for 1000 to 2000 rupees per liter.

There is a gathering of animal lovers and villagers: These days a huge crowd of animal lovers and villagers is gathering at the residence of former Rajya Sabha MP and animal lover RK Sinha located in Bahiyara village under Koilwar block. The reason is a unique and rare breed of Punganur cow.

'Punganur' cow became the pride of the cowshed: The former Rajya Sabha MP already has more than 150 cows of Gir, Gangatiriya and other Indian breeds, but now with the arrival of Punganur breed cows, his cattle shed has got a different identity. These cows are not only attractive to look at, but their milk is full of medicinal properties.

The male cow has been named 'Sonbhadra', while the three female cows have been named 'Ganga', 'Jamuna' and 'Saraswati'. The surprising thing is that when the MP calls them by their names, the cows run to him. Special arrangements have been made for a clean room for them to live. Shatrughan Thakur, cattle keeper

The cows are taken special care of: The cattle keeper Shatrughan Thakur, who takes care of these cows, told that former Rajya Sabha MP R.K. Sinha had ordered four cows of this breed in the year 2024, which includes three females and one male. Special care is taken from the food to the living of the cows. They are fed three times a day, which includes fruits like chutney, bran, banana and grapes.

My aim is to make the coming generations aware of the importance of Indian breeds and their medicinal properties. Dozens of people from the village and surrounding areas are coming to see these cows every day. Especially children and the elderly are very happy to see this unique cow. R.K. Sinha, former Rajya Sabha MP

PM Modi's picture with Punganur cow went viral: A picture of PM Modi was going viral on social media, in which he was seen feeding fodder to a cow of Punganur breed, since then the popularity of this breed of cow has increased further.

Punganur cow is found in Andhra Pradesh: Punganur cow of Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh is a famous and rare breed. Punganur breed of cow was on the verge of extinction, but the efforts of the state and central government saved the breed from extinction. Only 21 Punganur cows were identified in 1997, while in the 20th livestock census held in the year 2019, their number has been reported to be 13,275. Till five years ago it was only 2,828.

Punganur cow is of short stature. The average height is 3 to 5 feet and the weight is 115 to 200 kg. The color of these cows ranges from white, brown or light brown to dark brown. The forehead of the Punganur cow is broad. The horns are small and crescent shaped. This cow eats about 5 kg of food daily. On an average, it gives 3 to 5 liters of milk daily. The fat content in the milk of Punganur cow is up to 8 percent. The ears of these cows stand out and backwards. There is a small curve in the waist part of the Punganur cow. They can easily live in dry conditions as well. The age of Punganur cows is between 15 to 25 years.

The milk of Punganur cow breed has high fat and medicinal properties, due to which the milk is sold at a high price. The milk contains more fat. Anti-bacterial properties are found in urine and farmers of Andhra Pradesh use it to spray on crops. The Punganur cow breed is available for 1.5-2 lakh to 8-10 lakh rupees.