Vijayapura
The largest cattle fair in North Karnataka is held in the district. A cattle fair is held as a part of Siddarameshwar Jatra, the idol of the people of the district. It is customary to gather more than one lakh cattle in this fair. But this time the image of the cattle fair has changed due to drought.
Since the fair is held during the Sankranti period, Siddarameshwar Jatra is also known as Nammura Sankranti Jatra. Devotees come from different parts of the country to witness this fair. Also, a separate fair is held here for special cattle. In this cattle fair, farmers from many districts including neighboring states bring their cattle. Livestock fair starts from 12th January and ends on 20th for 8 days. But this time the effect of severe drought has fallen on the cattle fair.
This time it has not rained as expected. As a result, drought has gripped the state. The effect of this drought has fallen on the cattle fair. Every year, lakhs of cattle gather in the cattle fair. But this time due to the effect of drought, the number of cattle has decreased. The number of cattle, which should have been lakhs, is limited to a thousand. Only 5 to 6 thousand cattle are included in the cattle fair. This has disappointed the farmers as well as the organizers.
A farmer who has already suffered from drought has no desire to participate in the cattle fair. Farmers in the neighboring state of Maharashtra are still miserable without rain. Due to all this, most of the farmers have not shown enthusiasm and interest in bringing their cattle to the market.
