Maharashtra's Madgyal Sheep Gets Offer Of Rs 70 Lakh

A Madgyal sheep, known for its unique appearance and superior meat quality, has got an offer of a whopping Rs 70 lakh from a buyer in Maharashtra's Sangli district while its owner has quoted a price of Rs 1.5 crore. The Madgyal breed, inhabitants of Sangli, are taller, larger and have a higher growth rate than other breeds. Hence, they are in great demand among breeders. The state's animal husbandry department is also making extensive efforts to increase the Madgyal population, an official told PTI. 

This breed of sheep derives its name from the Madgyal village in Sangli. Babu Metkari, a shepherd having a flock over 200 sheep, was surprised when a buyer at a fair recently offered to buy one of his Madgyal sheep for Rs 70 lakh, though he did not wish to sell his prized possession.

"This sheep's real name is Sarja, but it was re-christened 'Modi' after people likened him to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the way he won all elections and became PM of the country. Sarja, too, showed ts dominance and ruled every fair and market it was taken," the proud owner said. Babu Metkari said as Sarja is a lucky charm for him and his family, he does not want to sell it.

"I refused to sell but when he insisted, I quoted Rs 1.50 crore as I knew no one will shell out that much for the farm animal," he said. Babu Metkari said he has several sheep of the Madgyal breed, but Sarja is far superior in terms of appearance and ability to reproduce.

"We have been into the live-stock rearing for two to three generations but in the last two years, we got good profits just because of Sarja. A lamb bred by this sheep is sold between Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh," he claimed. 

The Madgyal sheep have a prominent brown ring around the eyes. Its head is convex and it has a typical Roman nose. Its ears are long and drooping. Maharashtra Sheep and Goat Development Corporation's assistant director Dr Sachin Tekade said in view of the special qualities of the Madgyal breed, its utility, high demand and better adaptability to harsh drought-prone climate, the animal
husbandry department has decided to revive the breed.

"During a survey in 2003, it was found that there were only 5,319 pure Madgyal sheep available in Sangli," said Mr Tekade, who has been researching on the Madgyal breed for last several years. "So, an extensive programme was started with an aim to conserve the endangered Madgyal sheep," added Mr Tekade. A proposal to register Madgyal as a separate breed has been sent to the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources at Karnal in Haryana.