Dairy Farmers Showcase High-Yield Cattle at Mysuru Raitha Dasara Milking Contest

Dairy farmers gathered at J.K. Grounds on Saturday for a cow milking competition held as part of the Raitha Dasara celebrations in Mysuru. A total of 18 cattle from regions including Mysuru, Mandya, Bengaluru, and Hassan competed across morning and evening sessions. Only animals with a milk yield capacity of more than 15 litres were permitted to enter, and each cow produced an average of 20 litres of milk during the event, which the participating farmers took home.

Participants and Prizes

Many competitors maintain at least 10 cows on their farms and have invested heavily, with each participating animal costing over 3 lakh rupees. Among the contestants was Ajay Reddy, a corporate professional from Bengaluru who brought a large cow purchased from Punjab to encourage youth involvement in dairy farming. Another participant, Manjunath from Saligrama taluk, asked the government to raise milk prices to help farmers with lower-yielding animals stay in business. Kiran Guli from Hassan also competed with a cow that previously won a prize in Srirangapatna. Ashwinin Ambareesh Bidadi from Bengaluru Rural won first place and a cash prize of 1 lakh rupees. Sri Gururaghavendra Dairy Farm from Laxmipura secured second place for 80,000 rupees, Ravi S. from Bengaluru took third place for 60,000 rupees, and Kiran Gooli from Channarayapatna finished fourth to win 40,000 rupees.

Context

Events like Raitha Dasara celebrate farming traditions and highlight the economic role of dairy farming in rural communities. Exhibitions featuring rare cattle and sheep breeds help educate the public about indigenous livestock varieties and support local agriculture.