Education meets entertainment at bull expo

The Allapati Shiva Rama Krishnaiah memorial state level Bull Power and Milk Cattle Exhibition (Rastra Sthayee Yedla Bala Mariyu Pashu Paala Pradarshana) organised every year by Tenali MLA Allapati Rajendra Prasad from March 29 to April 4 is drawing huge crowds from all over the State.

The Agriculture Market Yard which is the venue of the sport for farmers, is the cynosure of all eyes as participants with twin bulls are indulging in a feat of dragging heavyweight rock blocks weighing between 12 quintals and 1 tonne.

The sport is attracting people and farmers in hundreds with their bulls making a bee line to the venue of the seven-day Tenali festival. The festival also focuses on farm mechanisation and technology. The competition apart, the district level Ongole Cow milk competitions among the cow farmers is a big draw. It also focuses on conservation of the Ongole Cow breed.

During the festival, rock blocks weighing 12, 14, 16, 18, 19.5, 25 quintals and 1.05 tonne are used. Vemuru MLA Nakka Anand Babu is the convenor of the Bull Power Exhibition while retired senior veterinary officer Allapati Tummala Venkatatrao is the convenor of the Ongole Cow Milk Competition. The competition revolves around the milk yield of the cows. The three highest milk yields will be given the first three prizes.

The first prize is Rs 10,116, second prize is Rs 7,116 and the third prize is Rs 5,116. For the rock dragging competitions, there are 10 cash prizes ranging from Rs 6,000 to Rs 30,000 for first category, Rs 7,000 to 35,000 for the second, Rs 10,000 to 40,000 for the third, Rs 8,000 to 50,000 for the fourth, Rs 10,000 to 60,000 for the fifth, Rs 20,000 to 70,000 for the sixth and Rs 10,000 to 1,00,000 for the seventh category.

Rajendra Prasad stated that the sport was conceived for entertainment of farmers and the general public and to provide a platform for people’s representatives to interact with farmers to educate them on modern methods of farming.