Anticipating legal action and unsure of how the new draft law would affect trade, many camel buyers from neighbouring states shied away from the fair last year. The demand fell, leading to a crash in prices. Earlier, Raikas earned Rs 30,000-Rs 40,000 for every male camel sold. But now, they get only Rs Rs 10,000-Rs 12,000 per camel
The camel is perfectly suited to the region’s climate. It is a frugal water-drinker and grazes by browsing from one plant to another, allowing vegetation in arid regions to grow back easily. Camel-keeping is the traditional occupation of Raikas who have sold male camels for work on farms, carrying of loads, tourism and border patrol
Experts say banning slaughter and migration will not help contain their shrinking population. Instead, the government must ensure that sufficient grazing lands are available for all livestock. They also want the government to encourage commercialisation of camel milk, known for its high nutrient value
But the steady drop in the number of camels has been the most worrying finding of every livestock census in the past two decades. From 1992 until 2012, the population of camels has declined by more than 56 per cent, from 750,000 to 330,000
With an increase in irrigation in the desert state, people are diverting more land to agriculture and following intensive cropping practices. Pasture land has also been forcibly acquired by mining companies, reducing the availability of grazing lands for livestock. As a result, animals like the camel are chronically hungry and are falling prey to diseases
To protect camels, the state government is in the process of enacting the Rajasthan Bovine Animal (Prohibition of slaughter and regulation of temporary migration or exports of camel) Bill 2014. The proposed restrictions on migration have started affecting the sale of camels, the source of livelihood of Raikas
Livestock is Rajasthan’s back-up economy. Eighty per cent of rural families in Rajasthan keep livestock in their households, and 35 per cent of the total income of small and marginal farmers comes from dairy and animal husbandry
Photographs: Vikas Choudhary