Sheep Rearers seeks help from Govt.

Coimbatore:The Tamilnadu State Sheep Rearers' Association members have asked the State Government to convene a joint meeting of officials from the forest and animal husbandry departments with the members of their association to discuss the loss of grazing lands for animals, including sheep.Such a tripartite meet will help clear the `misconception' about animal grazing in forests, thereby enabling the State administration to suitably rework its guidelines on granting permits for grazing in forest lands.The systematic reclamation and conversion of once graze-lands/ assessed wastelands into patta lands over the last few decades have deprived the State's sheep population of their traditional graze lands.

The bias and discrimination in the distribution of permits to sheep rearers for grazing in forestlands have practically rendered non-functional the system of `free' grazing permits allowed in 2000 by the State Forest Department.Only a very small percentage of people living along the fringes of forests and tending goats are allowed to graze their animals in the forest, while a number of sheep rearers from interlands migrating during winter days are not permitted due to misconception that sheep grazing harms the undergrowth of forest cover, the Tamilnadu State Sheep Rearers' Association has said.

The office-bearers of the association, comprising Mr K Kurunthalingam, General Secretary, Mr S Thirunagalingam, State President, Mr Balasamy, Joint Secretary, met the State Forest Minister, Mr Selvaraj, early this week to represent the difficulties faced by the members of their association over loss of grazing lands in the State.The association represents the interests of 25,000 sheep growers, each tending about 50-250 animals.

The association members maintain that there is an urgent need to have a relook at this issue as there is considerable official apathy and misinformation, especially at the low-level, that has led to denial of access of forest land grazing for the sheep rearers, according to Mr C. Vyapuri, Honorary President of the Association, who is also the president of the United Farmers Association.

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