Stray Cattle, Nilgai and Wild Boar Continue to Ravage UP Farms Despite Government Schemes, Say Bundelkhand Farmers

Government initiatives such as gaushalas (cattle shelters) and subsidised solar fencing have provided partial relief to farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Bundelkhand, but cultivators say crop raids by stray cattle, nilgai and wild boar continue to threaten their livelihoods.

Across villages in Banda, farmers report that while abandoned cattle are increasingly being housed in government shelters, wild animals continue to destroy standing crops, forcing many to leave farmland uncultivated or abandon certain crops altogether.

Farmers Abandon Crops as Wildlife Damage Mounts

For Santosh Yadav, cultivating peas is no longer economically viable.

A landless farmer who cultivates 16 bighas of land through sharecropping, Yadav says repeated attacks by wild boar have forced him to stop growing peas entirely.

Unable to afford expensive iron barbed-wire fencing, he relies on thorn barriers around his fields. However, these offer little protection against nilgai.

According to Yadav, nilgai begin grazing on wheat seedlings soon after germination, reducing average yields by nearly 50%, from the usual 10–12 quintals over recent years.

Hundreds of Stray Animals, Limited Shelter Capacity

The problem extends beyond wildlife.

In Alona, farmer Kallu says his family owns nearly 90 bighas of agricultural land, but around 30 bighas remain uncultivated because the family lacks sufficient manpower to guard every field.

He claims the village has around 1,000 stray cattle, while the local gaushala accommodates only about 90 animals, leaving hundreds to continue roaming farmland.

Several neighbouring farmers have similarly left portions of their land fallow due to recurring crop losses.

Allegations of Poor Management and Corruption

Farmers and local residents also allege shortcomings in the management of cattle shelters.

Deonarayan Singh alleges that irregularities in gaushala operations have reduced their effectiveness.

According to an anonymous gram panchayat official from Mahoba, despite the state allocating approximately ₹1,500 per animal per month for maintenance and an overall gaushala budget of ₹1,200 crore, instances of cattle suffering from inadequate fodder continue to occur.

The official further alleged that inflated cattle counts are sometimes reported to obtain additional government funds, while shortages of fodder reportedly result in animals being released at night, allowing them to wander back into agricultural fields.

Solar Fencing Offers Only Partial Protection

While subsidised solar fencing has helped some farmers protect their crops from stray cattle, many say the system is far from foolproof.

According to farmers, nilgai can often jump over fences, while wild boar frequently breach barriers by digging underneath or finding gaps in the fencing.

The installation costs also remain prohibitive for many small and marginal farmers, limiting wider adoption.

Night Patrols Become Part of Farming

Farmer Shiv Kumar spends nights guarding fields in nearby Sandi to keep animals away.

He believes moving all stray cattle into properly managed gaushalas could reduce crop losses significantly.

However, he says nilgai and wild boar remain a far greater challenge.

On the night of October 26, wild boar reportedly destroyed nearly half the chickpea crop on his 5.5-bigha field.

Like many farmers, Kumar keeps firecrackers in a makeshift hut to scare animals away, but says the method has gradually lost its effectiveness as animals become accustomed to the noise.

Farming Becoming Increasingly Unviable

According to local cultivators, protecting crops now requires constant vigilance from the day seeds are sown until harvest.

Families often take turns guarding fields throughout the night, sacrificing sleep and other income-generating activities. In some cases, farmers say the cost of protecting or harvesting crops exceeds the value of the produce itself.

The situation has prompted many cultivators to leave fields uncultivated, reduce acreage under vulnerable crops and reconsider agriculture as a sustainable livelihood.

While government schemes have helped address part of the stray cattle problem, farmers argue that lasting solutions will require better management of gaushalas, stronger monitoring mechanisms, expanded protection measures and effective strategies to reduce crop raids by wild animals. Without comprehensive intervention, they warn, agriculture in Bundelkhand will continue to become less viable for thousands of farming families.