Black thunder rocks the ramp

Their vital statistics weren’t exactly 36-24-36, but that didn’t stop these ‘models’ from grabbing eyeballs.

Bursting at the seams, the Arjun stadium witnessed the pick of the buffaloes at the first-ever ‘Murrah on the ramp’ show here on Wednesday.

The event was held not only to promote the Murrah breed but also to encourage farmers through monetary incentive not to sell it outside Haryana. Buffaloes of 70 farmers had been shortlisted following a milk yield test. As many as four ‘dress rehearsals’ were held to ensure that the show went off without a glitch. And it did.

While the participating farmers from across the state had been camping at the venue since Tuesday evening, hundreds of farmers keen on dairy farming started gathering at the stadium since early morning on Wednesday.

The function began around 11am, but union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and other state ministers arrived in the afternoon. They were all praise for the Murrah and the government’s initiatives to preserve and promote the breed.

Farmers jostled to meet the buffalo owners and make offers for mating their cattle with the Murrah ‘stars’. Two male buffaloes, both named Golu, and females Dhano, Mohini and Laxmi were the centre of attraction.

Talking about his prized possession, Narender Singh from Didwali village in Panipat district, said, “My Golu is 10 years old and weighs (a whopping) 1,500kg. It is 14-foot-long and 5.6-foot-tall. It has won 18 contests in Haryana and seven at the national level. Above all, Golu has fetched me more than Rs 50 lakh through mating and the sale of its semen.” He claimed that half of the participating buffaloes had been ‘fathered’ by Golu.

Bhiwani farmer Barkha Ram’s one-year-old Golu also won many admirers. Suraj Bhan from Singhwan Khas village (Hisar), who had brought Laxmi and Dhano, claimed that the latter produced 25-litre milk daily.

Jasbir Singh from Bibipur village in Jind district was heard telling inquisitive farmers that his two-year-old Mohini was pregnant and was likely to give more than 21-litre milk a day like its prize-winning mother, Laxmi.