Bullock Carts Are Costlier than Nanos

Price of Nano base model: Rs 1.35 lakh; a quality bullock cart: Rs 1.5 lakh

When farmer Ajay Mandvekar from Osmanabad district in Maharashtra decided to buy himself a new bullock cart, he discovered that a Nano would be cheaper. While the base price of a Nano, Tata Motors’ low-cost car, was just Rs 1.35 lakh in Mumbai, the minimum price of a bullock cart was Rs 1.50 lakh, he discovered.

Farmers who can afford such a cart go for animals with the best pedigree, given their extra speed and endurance. The preferred breed of bullocks across Maharashtra is the Lal Kandari or Khillar variety. These animals are either brownish-red or white in colour. The minimum price for both breeds is Rs 1 lakh. “A majority of farmers buy either of the two varieties. There has been a sharp rise in the cost of bullocks. If you are looking at speed, then the Khillar should be your choice. For heavy duty field work, it is the Lal Kandari that delivers top performance,” says Mandvekar.

The type of cart too is important when it comes to farm work. Given the shortage of wood and environmental clamps on cutting trees, carts these days are made of iron. Village blacksmiths design them to be light yet sturdy. A cart weighs about 300–400 kg. Such a cart frame alone could set you back by Rs 50,000.

If you thought a Nano comes with the added expense of fuel, think again. Bullock carts can have steep operating costs. “A farmer spends about Rs 200 a day on fodder for a pair of bullocks. These animals do not just survive on grass. They have to be given good quality feed, which is expensive. You can buy a Nano and not use it. But a bullock cart has to be used and the animals have to be fed. The cost just escalates,” says Mandvekar.

Farmers who cannot afford a bullock cart take one on rent from others—the condition being that the animals have to be given quality feed.

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Haima Deshpande