Last week, a Madgyal breed of sheep named “Modi” was in the news for the price its owner demanded and the offer it received.

According to media reports, the male breed or ram’s owner was surprised with a huge offer of Rs 70 lakh for it at the Atpadi cattle market in Maharashtra’s Sangli district.

The animal’s owner, Babu Metkari, who has a 200-sheep flock, was taken by surprise when a buyer offered such a huge sum for the breed. Unwilling to sell his ram, Metkari quoted its offer price at Rs 1.5 crore.

Initially named Sarja, the sheep has been re-named “Modi” by the locals for the way it has dominated all the fairs and markets it attended. “Like Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi has won all elections, Sarja too has dominated all fairs and markets,” Metkari told PTI, as reported by Outlook website.

For Metkari, the breed might be a “lucky charm”, but there are more reasons why the Madgyal breed sheep commands such a premium in the Indian cattle market.

Here’s why the breed, a native to Sangli and Satara districts in Maharashtra besides Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, is so special and commands a premium.

According to the Journal of Livestock and Biodiversity, the Madgyal breed was evolved a couple of decades ago from the Deccani native sheep breed of Maharashtra. It derives its name from Madgyal village in Jat tehsil in Sangli district, where it is mainly inhabited.

Madgyal has evolved through selective breeding of the Deccani sheep but it is vastly different from its mother breed. It has been derived through special selections, said the journal.

Dr Sachin Tekade, assistant director, Maharashtra Sheep and Goat Development Corporation, told Swarajya that the Madgyal breed is white in colour with brown patches and it has some peculiar characteristics.

“Farmers rear the Madgyal to upgrade their breeds or for selective breeding. Its main characteristics are significant,” he said.

The Madgyal breed is superior in terms of weight gain, prolificacy, early maturity and adult weight compared to other sheep breeds. Also, its body measurements are higher than all other ecotypes, especially the Deccani sheep.

The overall average weight of a Madgyal sheep at birth is 3.0 to 3.5 kg. The adult female weights 45-50 kg and the ram or male 50-55 kg.

Tekade said that the sheep is exclusively maintained for meat and reared for occasions such as Bakrid (Eid al-Adha).

“Demand from customers is on the basis of breed character, body, and look character. It has a special convex nose or what people call Roman nose,” he said.

The Maharashtra Sheep and Goat Development Corporation official said that its daily weight gain is considerably higher than other breeds, while its growth rate is also faster.

“The growth rate is twice the normal of other breeds,” he said.

According to the journal, the sheep gains an average weight of 220-250 gm every day.

The growth rate, however, varies widely and it also produces rough wool with an average annual yield of 250-260 gm.

Another feature of the breed is that it grows in tough conditions, mainly drought-prone areas of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Tekade said the ram is preferred for selective breeding particularly for its significant characteristics.

“The Madgyal can be cross-bred with local sheep, which retains the characteristics of the ram in its offspring almost 75 per cent. Also, the percentage of twins that a female crossed with this breed delivers is higher,” he said.

The Madgyal sheep normally commands Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh. “It is a rare breed and hence commands a good price as buyers use it for upgrading their local sheep breeds,” he said.

However, it is also rare that Madgyal sheep such as “Modi” commands such a huge price. Last year, a Madgyal ram fetched a price of Rs 17 lakh but this year “Modi” has topped them all.

Its owner Metkari claims that offspring of his prized ram fetch between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh and it has got him good money in the last two years.

Not surprisingly, the Madgyal breed dominates the sheep population in Sangli district.

Tekade said the Maharashtra government has launched a programme to preserve and expand the breed.

Sangli district

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