https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/04/21/indian-cows-and-buffaloes-are-going-online

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AsiaApr 23rd 2022 edition

Moo with the times
Indian cows (and buffaloes) are going online

A new breed of startups wants to formalise cattle trading

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Apr 21st 2022

VAJEGHAR

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SIX COWS munch on dry grass in a barn in Vajeghar, a village some
five hours from Mumbai. Ajay Shilimkar, a dairy farmer, beams as he
introduces them to your correspondent. One, named Laali, is his most
recent acquisition. "She listens to what I say. I don't need a
stick," he says. Laali moos triumphantly.

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Until recently, Mr Shilimkar would have gone to one of India's many
livestock fairs in search of a new beast. But he found Laali on
Animall, a cattle-trading platform. The seller, who listed her for
45,000 rupees ($590), lived just 20km away. Mr Shilimkar reckons he
saved at least 10,000 rupees that would otherwise have gone to a
middleman.

Mr Shilimkar is among 75m dairy farmers in India, and Laali one of
200m cows (there are another 100m buffaloes). The dairy industry is
worth $174bn and produces a fifth of the world's milk. Enticed by the
prospect of juicy margins from formalising a highly fragmented
market, many startups have emerged in the past few years. The
companies make money by charging fees or providing extra services,
such as online vet appointments. Animall claims to have made 1m sales
since it was set up in 2019, and has received $23m in investment.
Gaurav Choudhary of Pashushala, the first such startup to be founded,
in 2018, says his aim is "democratising cattle".

Livestock fairs, where most animals are still bought and sold, can be
expensive and chaotic. Farmers shell out entry fees to register their
beasts. They must pay for labourers to load and unload the animals,
as well as for transport to and from the fair. They worry about
cattle thieves. Making a sales pitch to every prospective customer
takes a toll in the heat. And if your cows find no buyers, you must
go through the whole rigmarole again, complains Anil Renusay, another
cattle farmer in Vajeghar.

Then there is fraud, says Satish Birnale, who rears buffaloes in
Sangli, a small western city. Some traders inject their animals with
steroids. Horns are often polished "as if the cows have just been to
a beauty parlour," he says. "It's like searching for a bride in an
arranged marriage. We have to be careful and not go just by the
looks."

Firms like Pashushala and Animall claim to have solved such problems
with a system of checks, including a nod from a local veterinarian.
Animall requires sellers to upload videos and pictures of their
cattle, and provide details not just of breed or age, but also past
pregnancies, how much milk they provide and so on. A team calls every
user to verify the information. Ads with blurry photos or listings
with pictures taken from the internet are swiftly removed. A close-up
of the cow's udders is important. So are comments by the farmer about
the animal's temperament. In one video a seller croons, "Beautiful!
Oh, look at those singhs (horns)". It is not a new pitch. But it is
now easier and cheaper to make.

This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under
the headline "Moo with the times"

Reuse this contentThe Trust Project

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