Uttar Pradesh faces big challenge in arranging hay for stray cattle

Abandoned by farmers, more than 9 lakh cattle are being taken care of at around 6,000 shelters established by the state government

LUCKNOW: Arranging straw ( bhoosa) to meet the annual and uninterrupted food requirement of the stray cattle in Uttar Pradesh has become a big challenge for the state government as the straw prices are too high because of which the district magistrates (DMs) are finding it difficult to purchase it at the offered price, people aware of the issue said.

Abandoned by farmers, more than 9 lakh cattle are being taken care of at around 6,000 shelters established by the Yogi Adityanath government. In 2018, the UP government had launched a statewide drive to catch stray ( abandoned) cattle after they became

There are 12 lakh stray cattle in the state and of them 9.50 lakh have been caught and put in the cattle shelters throughout the state.

a nuisance to farmers and commuters alike after the same government had strictly banned cattle slaughter.

Though officials have pulled out all the stops to collect straw as per the annual target after chief secretary Durga Shankar Mishra’s directions to them to meet the target through purchase from traders as well as donation from people by June 7, only 21% of the target has been achieved till May 29 even as the wheat straw season is ending.

“Since the market straw prices have soared up to Rs 1,800 per quintal unlike last year when it was available for only for Rs 500- 600 per quintal, most district magistrates are not able to finalise tenders to buy straw,” a senior official said adding, “Some straw suppliers are also believed to have indulged into hoarding while anticipating further price increase because of which an artificial scarcity has also been created.”

Last year, the government bought straw worth Rs 600 crore.

This is for the first time when the DMs are compelled to float tenders to discover affordable price to buy straw for the stray cattle.

As per the circular issued by the chief secretary to all the DMs, commissioners and others on May 20, there are 12 lakh stray cattle in the state and of them 9.50 lakh have been caught and put in the cattle shelters throughout the state.

“The annual straw requirement for 9.50 lakh stray cattle has been estimated to be 10.35 lakh tonnes but only 15% of the required straw had been collected so far which is a matter of concern,” Mishra said in the circular.

Saying that only 11 districts had finalized the tenders for the purchase of straw, he directed all other DMs to quickly float tenders for the purpose. He also told DMs to collect straw through donation from people and organisations and make a separate inventory of the same.

Referring to an earlier circular that said that top three divisions and five top districts doing good work in arranging straw would be awarded, the CS regretted that barring districts like Prayagraj, Basti and Banda other districts were taking desired interest in arranging straw.

“You are therefore directed

MEERUT: The farmers in the western U.P. are grappling with an acute shortage of straw, a wheat residue and a major component of animal fodder in villages and dairies. The shortage has sent its price soaring by up to 400 times. Also, incidents of straw theft are now being reported in the villages.

Subhash Baliyan of Budhana in Muzaffarnagar said that it was all due to the low production of wheat. It has increased the demand, and therefore its price has also gone up manifolds. “Those who depend on their earnings from selling milk were facing extra financial burden in feeding their cattle,” said Baliyan. Atul Sharma of village Amhera in Meerut district said that she has been raising cows for decades and had never heard about the theft of straw. “I bought a quintal straw from a village farmer and left it outside in the night. But, a heap of straw got stolen,” said Atul. She claimed that she has come across similar incidents in and around other villages as well. Atul

to complete the remaining district-wise collection of straw by June 7,” the CS told the officials.

After the CS’s directives many DMs, it is said, went overboard issuing written orders while fixing departmentwise targets to donate straw to straw banks in their districts. But despite all the desperate efforts, only around 35 of the 75 districts had finalized and floated tenders to purchase straw till Sunday (May 29), according to a report presaid that she used to buy the straw at around ₹300 to 400 per quintal but the shortage has increased its price to ₹1500 to 1600 per quintal. She claimed that many dairy owners have closed their dairies. “Only those who have their agriculture field where they can grow green fodder can now afford to rear cattle,” she added.

BKU leader Rakesh Tikait also raised the issue of the shortage of straw in the panchayat of village Kakda in Muzaffarnagar on Sunday. He warned officials against banning the entry of straw laden trucks from Haryana and Punjab border. “Farmers will tie their cattle in police stations if the strawladen trucks were stopped,” Tikait said. BKU’s president of district Muzaffarnagar Yogesh Sharma said that farmers were already paying for the high price of diesel, pesticides, GST on tractors and other agriculture equipment, and now the price of straw will put more financial burden on them. He accused the cardboard industries that use straw as raw material of lobbying with officials to stop entry of straw into western UP.

pared by the government.

According to the same report, merely 21 % of the straw against the annual requirement had been arranged till Sunday. “Till May 29, a little more than 1.86 lakh tonnes of straw was collected through purchase and .24 lakh tonnes through donation, total being 2.10 lakh tonnes,” the report indicates.

The chief secretary reviews the progress every week on Monday through a video conference with DMs and other officials.