Category Archives: Agriculture (since June 07th, 2021)

A Muslim vet in service of cows

Agriculture (since June 07th, 2021), Community Involvement / Social Issues, , , , , , , , , ,

Kharekhari Village (Jodhpur), RAJASTHAN :

Aftab’s love for cows also made him relinquish his lucrative job in the gulf and brought him back to the country.

Dr Aftab Ahmed Khan with a calf.(HT Photo)

Aftab must be one those few people who gave up MBBS to study veterinary sciences. The decision was prompted by the death of his beloved calf that died due to want of treatment.

Aftab’s love for cows also made him relinquish his lucrative job in the gulf and brought him back to the country.

“I lost my calf, Ballu, in 1998. He suffered from anthrax and could not be treated in time as there was no vet in the area at that time,” recollects Dr Aftab Ahmed Khan.

Khan says that the incident affected him so much that he chose to become a veterinary doctor despite selected for a MBBS course in 1999.

Furthermore, Khan says that he inherited the love for cows and other animals from his mother. “My mother loved cows and other animals at our home and cared for them like her own children,” he says.

“It was her daily routine, after offering the fajr namaz (offered before dawn) she would feed cows and other animals. Even before having tea, she would give the animals water and fodder,” says the vet.

Khan too developed the habit of feeding Ballu gur (jaggery) and chapati before leaving for school.

A native of Jodhpur, Khan says that he gave up his jobs in Oman and UAE as he was asked to do ante-mortem duties there. “The duty was very distressing for me and filled me with remorse as I was certifying beef meat for human consumption,” says Khan.

He finally took a call and gave up the job and returned to India despite the fact that he was getting a monthly salary equivalent to over one lakh Indian rupees in the gulf.

Now, Khan is working with Tree of Life For Animals (TOLFA), an organisation in Kharekhari village in Ajmer, extending medical treatment and care to stray animals.

“Every day over 20 to 30 cows are brought here for various ailments,” said Khan. Last month, two cows were operated upon to extract polythene from their stomach, he added.

From a job involving certification of animals for slaughter, Khan now spends his day treating the animals, mostly cows, brought to TOLFA clinic every day.

urce: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Cities> Jaipur News / by Zakir Hussain, Ajmer, Hindustan Times / April 13th, 2017

MP: ‘Noorjahan’ mangoes fetching rate up to Rs 1,000 apiece

Agriculture (since June 07th, 2021), Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Green Products, , ,

Indore, MADHYA PRADESH :

Locals claim ‘Noorjahan’ mangoes are of Afghan origin and cultivated only in the Katthiwada region of Alirajpur district adjacent to the Gujarat border, approximately 250 km from Indore.

Kids holding Noorjahan mangoes. (File Photo | Express Photo Service)

Indore :

The ‘Noorjahan’ mango, cultivated in Madhya Pradesh’s Alirajpur district, is fetching a higher price this year thanks to the good yield and sheer size of the fruit compared with the last year.

The ‘Noorjahan’ mango is priced at Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 apiece this season, a farmer said on Sunday, adding unlike the last year, the yield of this variety of mangoes has been good this time due to favourable weather conditions.

Locals claim ‘Noorjahan’ mangoes are of Afghan origin and cultivated only in the Katthiwada region of Alirajpur district adjacent to the Gujarat border, approximately 250 km from Indore.

“The three Noojahan mango trees in my orchard have produced 250 mangoes. The fruit has been priced between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 per piece. Bookings have already been done for these mangoes,” Shivraj Singh Jadhav, a mango cultivator from Katthiwada, told PTI.

He said people who have booked ‘Noorjahan’ mangoes in advance include fruit lovers from Madhya Pradesh as well as neighbouring Gujarat.

“This time the weight of a Noorjahan mango is going to be between 2 kg to 3.5 kg,” Jadhav added.

Ishaq Mansoori, an expert in cultivating ‘Noorjahan’ mangoes in Katthiwada, said, “This time the crop of this variety has been good but the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the business”.

He said ‘Noorjahan’ trees could not flower properly due to unfavourable climatic conditions in 2020.

“In 2019, one mango of this variety weighed around 2.75 kg at an average and buyers paid as high as Rs 1,200 apiece for it,” he added.

The ‘Noorjahan’ variety produces fruits towards the beginning of June.

These trees start flowering in January- February.

A ‘Noorjahan’ mango can grow up to a foot long and its kernels weigh between 150 to 200 grams, local cultivators claimed.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Nation / by PTI / Indore – June 06th, 2021