Pongal: Tamil Nadu farmers sell 10,000 goats worth Rs 7 crore over fear of diseases

Tuticorin: Goat markets made huge profits ahead of Pongal this year at Ettayapuram in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu. A weekly fair to sell goats is conducted every Saturday. While the festival is on January 15, Ettayapuram market sold goats worth Rs 7 crore in one day. Usual sale is of Rs 2 crore. During last Pongal, the market had made Rs 6 crore. This year, at least 10,000 goats were sold in the market. It is said that with no rain and fog, farmers were scared that goats might get infected and fall prey to diseases. Thus, most farmers sold their goats. The goats were mainly brought from Theni, Virudhunagar, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram, Madurai, Kanyakumari and Nellai.