Goat breeders lock horns with veterinary experts

With traders in the state crossbreeding rare Jamuna Pari goats, which command Rs 3 lakh per adult animal, veterinary experts have objected to grazing and breeding methods employed

This year around, breeders have taken to rearing a special breed of Jamuna Pari goats, which at a selling price of Rs 3 lakh per adult animal, is probably the costliest in the country. However, veterinary experts have raised concerns over the proper breeding and grazing methods of this rare breed. They say that the breeders are ignorant about what the animals require to keep they population healthy.



The breed has its origin in Etahwa in Uttar Pradesh and breeders here have bought over 2,000 such goats this year. Hosting a huge program showcasing this breed, the Bangalore Urban Goat Farmers gathered at J C Road recently.

Owner's pride
While breeders boast about owning such a rare and costly breed of goat, veterinary experts and associations have taken objection. The experts believe that the breeders are unaware of the right kind of grazing required to rear such a breed.

"I own 15 such goats and spend more than Rs 3,000 every month on maintenance. All the great saints and prophets reared these goats and so I decided to connect it that way. It is a matter of pride to own 15 Jamuna Pari goats," said city-based goat breeder Rafi Shaw.

Chinnaswamy Gowda, who came down from Kolar said, "During Bakrid we sell an ordinary goat at Rs 8,000, but a single adult Jamuna Pari brings in about Rs 3 lakh. Around 2,000 Jamuna Pari goats have been brought to the state in the past three years and we are banking on cross breeding them before the festive season of Bakrid."

Not the way
Veterinary college professors and officials from the Animal Husbandry Department however have opposed the rearing of this breed in confinement. "Goat farmers need to give timely attention to the animals by providing a special calcium tablet. They need to also use de-worming tonics and get checkups and spray the animals to get rid of parasites once in three months. It is due to the lack of such awareness that the animals suffer," said Professor C Nagaraj professor, Veterinary College, Hebbal.

He added that goats are normally grazers, but many breeders confine the animals in small sheds on their rooftops, fearing theft. "This particular breed is not meant to be confined in small places, which is the first thing they need to know before they start breeding," he added. Dr S Satyanarayan, a senior veterinarian echoed the same sentiments adding that the demand for this breed is high.

Did you know?
It is said that the Jamuna Pari goats were first brought from Syria and Turkey for cross-breeding during Emperor Akbar's rule. The breeding happened on the banks of Jamuna, hence the name Jamuna Pari