Scarcity of oxen is so palpable that people in search for them have increased in all villages. Though the search has intensified nobody is coming forward to sell their oxen. Even if farmers come forward to sell their oxen, a pair is priced at more than Rs 20,000.
Farmers who are unable to procure oxen at such high price buy smaller oxen from villages in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, for lower price. Buying oxen at the time of cultivation can prove troublesome, as it is very tough for the farmers to train them at a short notice.
Moreover, tractors will not be available for rent until the mango season is over. Only those farmers who have oxen can begin cultivation, as a result the over all process of cultivation in the taluk has been affected.
Published 15 June 2009, 17:33 IST