A study of cattle marketing in north-western agro – climatic zone of Tamilnadu

The present study was conducted with the objective of examining the cattle marketing in north western agro-climatic zone of Tamilnadu during 2014–15. The study reveals that by and large the animal marketing was owned and controlled by private agencies. There was no organized institutional arrangement for controlling the marketing affairs. Price depends upon the physical characteristics of animals like age, breed, number of lactation, lactation yield, temperament, height and weight etc., price was fixed by mutual negotiations between buyers and sellers or through brokers. In all the shandies studied usage of “Secret code words” to define the market price of cattle and buffaloes are common. Bargaining under cover was in vogue. There was no barrier in entering in to the livestock trade in the study area. There were irregularities in market fee structure and number of malpractices were also noticed.