Relief to farmer couple who lost cows to poisonous plant; receives five cows from various organizations

THRISSUR: Ravi and his wife, Sumithra, were devastated when they lost five dairy cows and a calf after they ate a poisonous grass. This loss was a major blow to their livelihood, adding significant financial anxiety to their grief. This tragedy occurred in Velappaya Kuzhiparambu. But now they are relieved after they got five dairy cows as donations.

One cow each was donated by Dairy Farmers Group, Attor Dairy Group, K.S. Cattlefeed Company, Mullassery Dairy Group, and the Association of Retired Veterinary Doctors. Ravi, who used to give 30-35 litres of milk to the society, can now give about 28 litres. The cows died on the 20th of last month after eating poisonous grass called 'Venalpacha' (Blumia).

'I didn't know what to do when the cows died. Compensation from the government comes delayed. We suddenly got stuck. But I realised that there were kind people around, and they helped us," said Sumithra.

'I have been raising cows for forty years. They eat all this grass. However, when the grass flowers in the winter, it becomes poisonous. I still remember my calf Malu falling down after eating this." 65-year-old Sumithra, who teared up while saying this, was consoled by her 70-year-old husband, Ravi. They also received financial assistance of about eighty thousand rupees.

Minister J. Chinjurani handed over two more dairy cows to K.C. Ravi yesterday under the 'Donate a Cow' scheme of Kerala Feeds. Xavier Chittilappilly, MLA, presided over this function. Raji, a veterinarian from Avanoor who helped Ravi, Dr. Shilpa, and Puzhakkal Panchayat Night Veterinary Doctor Nithin were honoured. Avanoor Panchayat President Thankamani Sankunni distributed fodder. District Panchayat Member Lini distributed mineral salt. Kerala Feeds Ltd. Chairman K. Sreekumar, Deputy Marketing Manager P.P. Francis, Thomson Thalakodan, P.V. Biju, Sreelakshmi Saneesh, Dr. Ajith Babu, N. Veena, Dr. Shyam Mohan, and others also participated.

Blumia, poisonous plant

Blumia, or 'Venalpacha,' is a plant with dark green smooth leaves, fleshy stems, and white and yellow flowers. It flowers from December to June. If animals eat it, they will die from conditions such as stomach cramps, drops in temperature, dehydration, tremors, foaming, and drooling.

Mimosa diplotricha (Anathottavaadi), Milkweed (Erukku), Lantana (Kongini), Strychnine (Kanjiram), and Tapioca leaves are also dangerous for animals.