For 48-eight year old Anand Chahwan the last few weeks have provided good business. Buying cattle from farmers he sells them for a profit in one of the biggest cattle markets in Dharwad. While the last two decades have been kind to him, of late business has been better than he ever dreamed, as farmers are selling their cattle at throwaway prices with the drought making it impossible for them to find enough fodder to feed them.
While hundreds of middlemen like Anand are making a fast buck, agents are earning in thousands negotiating deals between the farmers selling their cattle and those buying them. Take Maruthi Chahwan, who ferries lorry loads of livestock for sale to cattle markets in Hubli. He earns around Rs 5,000 per animal. “I have sold my two cows for half the price because there is no fodder nor can I cultivate my fields in the absence of rain,” says Rudrappa Ambadagatti of Ambadagatti, Dharwad.