When Dr. Sosamma Iype took the initiative to save the extinct Vechur breed of cows in the 1980s, he had no idea of the troubles that came his way. He had to deal with so many problems like going from village to village to find cows, explaining to the farmers, opposition from his own people and untimely death of cows. But she did not give up and kept fighting. The Padma Shri award, which he recently received, is the most fitting and accurate recognition of his struggles.
Dr. Sosamma Iype said, “I did not expect this honour. I am really happy to get this. There are many people who have been involved in this effort. This honor has brought happiness to all of them as well.”
Vechur is one such breed of indigenous cow of India, about which you hardly know. Very small in stature, this cow gives milk in large quantity, which is full of medicinal properties. There is little expenditure on its maintenance and fodder. But in spite of these specialties, gradually the number of these cows started decreasing. In the 1980s, they were close to extinction. Then Dr. Sosamma came forward for their protection and made it their mission to save these cows.
Threatened by cross-breeding
Talking to us, Dr. Sosamma says, “In the 1960s, the state government changed the cattle breeding policy to increase milk production. Subsequently, large-scale cross-breeding with foreign varieties of indigenous cattle had begun, leading to a decline in the number of indigenous varieties such as Vechur cow.”
Dr. Sosamma Iype is a retired Professor of ‘Kerala University of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Thrissur’. She is engaged in the conservation of Vechur cow for the last 30 years. He has been awarded the Padma Shri for his tireless efforts in saving the breed from the brink of extinction and increasing its population.
Iype (Dr. Sosamma Iype) got with a better team
Only a few cows of this breed were left in the country. Dr. Sosamma had understood that if nothing was done to preserve them now, then it would be too late in the times to come. Together with some university students, he started looking for these cows across the state.
She says, “I started this initiative of mine in 1989. Then some university students contacted me and they joined me. There were 15-20 students who were engaged in this work with full dedication for many years. We would travel from place to place, checking on the cows with the farmer and herders. Some of my students even included their families in it.”
She adds, “It was one of the best times of my career. We all had the same objective and we were engaged in it with utmost sincerity. We were enjoying our journey together. The mission was to save this breed and give them back to the farmers.”
After much effort, Iype (Dr. Sosamma Iype) To First Vechur Cow found
The hunt for cows proceeded mainly starting from the southern districts of Kottayam and Alappuzha. Then Dr. Sosamma Iype and his team took a long time to find a Vechur cow. He said, “Finally after visiting several villages, we were able to find our first Vechur cow, which was owned by a farmer named Manohar. But he was not at all ready to sell his cow. It was explained to him with great difficulty. Then somewhere he agreed to give his cow to us.
For this initiative, a fund of Rs 65 thousand was given by the university, which he used to buy and care for the cows. Gradually he started getting more cows and in a year he had about 24 Vechur cows. They were kept on the farm of the Agricultural University in Mannuthi and looked after there. The first priority of the entire team was to breed the cows so that their population could increase.
But all this was not so easy. He faced many challenges in his journey. Dr. Sosamma, 80, says, “Because it was against the state’s policy of cross-beading cows. Therefore, there was no support from the government for this initiative of ours. Many people were against us in the university as well.”
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‘The death of 24 cows shook’
Dr. Iype said, “We had just started our initiative that a year later, 24 cows died of poison in the field. It was a sad incident, which was also investigated. But the reasons for this are not known till date. The most difficult time of my life had started after the incident, but I did not give up and kept fighting.”
There was another controversy surrounding the Vechur cows, of which Dr. Sosamma Iype states, “In 1998, an environmentalist claimed that the Vechur breed DNA had been patented by the Roslin Institute in Scotland. . This caused a stir in the Indian research sector. Then there was a lot of opposition to our work of conservation, but then two years later, an investigation proved this claim to be false.”
Subsequently, Vechur cows were recognized as an indigenous cattle breed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICR).
Then the Vechur Protection Trust was formed
Iype (Dr. Sosamma Iype) says, “After all these controversies, a need was felt for a trust that could involve common people in this initiative. Then in 1998, we formed the ‘Vachur Conservation Trust’ to increase the support and participation of farmers as well as researchers. This trust helps the farmers by giving them the germplasm of Vechur cows.”
Research and breeding programs were also conducted to breed cattle. Partnerships were made with several national and international organizations like National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), Ministry of Science and Technology, Food and Agriculture Organization (AFO), Kerala State Biodiversity Board, NABARD and United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
Now there are more than 5000 Vechur cows across the country
This journey, which started with a mission to save the indigenous cattle breed, has been successful in stabilizing their population. “There are now more than 5,000 Vechur cows in Kerala and other parts of the country,” she says.
Dr. Sosamma has also received praise from organizations like ‘Food and Agriculture Organization (AFO)’ and ‘United Nations Development Program (UNDP)’. She is still active and works closely with the Vechur Preservation Trust.
Original article: Anjali Krishnan
Editing: Archana Dubey
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