1. INTRODUCTION:

Vegetables are sold both in bulk and in retail in India. Usually, it is kept in the category of essential items sold in the daily market. Vegetables are one of the main providers of nutrients in the daily diet. Vegetables are the most important part of the meal. It is so important that doctors also get all the nutrients from vegetables in the diet to stay healthy, such as minerals, proteins, fibre, and vitamins, including health-promoting and disease-preventing elements together. (Watson, 2024). According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare's Horticulture Production 2022-23 Report, India stands at the second position globally in the production of vegetables. In comparison to the normal recommendation of 146 kg per person per year, the per capita availability of fruits and vegetables in India has been 227kg. Etcfo (2024). According to a report from SBI, Indian farmers have historically grown vegetables. Vegetable market Farmers must deal with price fluctuations as a result of the demand-supply balance, which occasionally forces them to bear unusual profit or loss. Vegetable prices are rising significantly as a result of inflation, which also affects farmers' earnings. Due to inflation, the price of vegetables also increases a lot, the effect of which is also seen in the income of the farmers. The production of vegetables and fruits by the farmers as a whole remains at risk, and the tendency of the farmers in the production of food grains is also seen more in vegetables and fruits.

Stray Cattle:

Ministry of agriculture define Stray cattle as Cattle that have no identifiable owner or that roam freely in public places without restriction are referred to as stray cattle. These animals lack proper shelter or a fixed destination. Examples of stray cattle include cows, calves, and bulls, among which cows are the most commonly seen wandering on roads and streets in India.

Farmers tend to keep cows only as long as they are milk-yielding. However, once a cow stop producing milk, it is often abandoned by the farmers due to the financial burden of its maintenance and care. Following this, the lack of adequate gaushalas (cow shelters) and the absence of proper shelter or designated spaces where these animals can receive food and water force them to roam freely in open areas. This is where the root of the real problems begins.

Cultural aspects:

In India, the cow holds significant religious importance, especially in Hindu and Jain cultures. The cow is revered as a mother figure ("Gau Mata") and is often worshipped as sacred.

Slaughter ban in India:

The slaughter of cows and certain other animals is banned in many states across India, due to religious and cultural reasons. However, this ban is not uniformly applicable throughout the country. Exceptions exist in several north-eastern states and in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, where cow slaughter is legally permitted under certain conditions.

Even the Constitution of India, as early as 1950, recognized the matter of cow slaughter as a subject under the jurisdiction of individual states. This is reflected in the Directive Principles of State Policy, specifically Article 48 of the Indian Constitution, which states: "The State shall endeavour to organise agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines and shall, in particular, take steps for preserving and improving the breeds, and prohibiting the slaughter, of cows and calves and other milch and draught cattle."

Key Issues Arising from Stray Cattle:

1. Road accidents: According to (Mohanty, C. R., et at., 2021) Even today, the danger posed by stray animals persists on roads, where both vehicles and pedestrians often fall victim to accidents. According to report 5% deaths occurred just due to road accidents.

2. Crop Damage: Many stray cattle enter agricultural fields and destroy crops, causing significant financial losses to farmers.

3. Disruption in Market Functioning: In vegetable markets and urban mandis, stray cattle often enter the premises, disturb vendors' activities, create panic among the public, and damage or consume goods.

4. Sanitation Concerns: Stray cattle frequently consume plastic and waste materials from garbage dumps, posing a serious risk of disease spread and environmental pollution.

5. Municipal Burden: The management of stray cattle adds to the responsibilities and financial burden of local municipal bodies, which often lack adequate resources and infrastructure.

6. Public Safety Issues: Stray cattle in public places pose a safety threat. At times, aggressive cattle attack pedestrians, leading to clashes where people may retaliate and harm the animals, escalating the conflict.

Study area:

Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai is a newly elected district located in the west of the state of Chhattisgarh. The full name of the district is Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai is made up of combine Three blocks. The district came into existence on 3 September 2022. Khairagarh district has the distinction of having the world-famous first art and music university in Asia. Music City is also given to the district as a title. Place for music university was donated by Raja Virender Bahadur Singh and his wife Rani Padmavati of Khairagarh in the name of their daughter Indira in 1956 to make their palace a university of art and music. Gandai town is part of the Chhuikhadan block and currently has a Nagar panchayat system. There are 15 wards.

Table 1: Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai District Profile.

Area	1553.84 Sq Km
Population	4,43,968
Literacy	70.01%

Source: Khairagarh District website

Vegetable Market in Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai:

Khairagarh:

In Khairagarh district, there are two major vegetable markets, namely: (1) Gol Bazar and (2) Itwari Bazar (also known as Bada Bazar).

Chhuikhadan:

In Chhuikhadan, there is a major vegetable market where all vendors actively engage in the buying and selling of vegetables.

Gandai:

Gandai vegetable market is the biggest market here. Vegetables Gandai and Dhamdha are the two big suppliers of vegetables who meet the demands of vegetables of the surrounding districts. for this reason, the sub-markets here are bigger than the surrounding districts.

There are a lot of vegetable vendors in Gandai. The main occupation of people here is agriculture. And then there are a lot of vegetable vendors. Gandai is a major hub for the wholesale vegetable trade. There are 6 different ways to enter the Gandai Vegetable Market. Some are big, and some are small. There is no system like Security Guard, because this system has never been paid attention to or demanded of the administration. Vegetable vendors want to avoid such expenses.

Table 2: Cattle population in Gandai.

Place	Cattle Population (Urban)	Rural	Total
Gandai	1588	NA*	1588*
Khairagarh	3989	110032	114021
Chhuikhadan	466	96550	97016
Total	6043	*	*
Chhattisgarh	3,73,838

Source: 20^th Livestock census Chhattisgarh (2019)

Live Stock Department Chhattisgarh

Table shows that the data used for analysing cattle population has been sourced from the official Livestock Census, which provides figures for both urban and rural landscapes. However, it is important to note that this data reflects the scenario prior to the formation of the Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai district.

According to the available figures, the urban cattle population is recorded as 1,588 in Gandai town, 466 in Chhuikhadan, and 3,989 in Khairagarh. These are the three major towns of the district, with Khairagarh serving as the district headquarters and the largest urban center. Chhuikhadan functions as both a tehsil and a block for Gandai, yet Gandai town has a larger area and higher cattle population than Chhuikhadan. This may be attributed to Gandai’s strategic location, which connects it directly to major districts like Raipur, Durg, and Kawardha via national highways.

In terms of rural areas, specific data for Gandai is not available. However, Chhuikhadan reports a rural cattle population of 96,550, while Khairagarh has 1,10,032. This indicates a substantial rural livestock presence in both regions, contributing significantly to the dynamics of stray cattle and their potential impact on local vegetable markets.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM:

In K.C.G District There are two types of vendors: those who have been allotted a part of the market for which they pay a fee and those who sell their vegetables in a small space nearby. Stray cattle are entering in large numbers during the day and causing damage to vegetables, and the tendency to eat vegetables remains a problem here. Apparently, this is a common vegetable market problem. But due to the larger number of stray cattle harming the vegetables, the vegetable seller suffers financial loss. He earns his livelihood by selling vegetables.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE:

In the study of (Bello and Moradeyo 2019). critiques the traditional methods used to prevent cattle intrusion–such as fencing and frightening techniques–highlighting how these measures tend to fail over time. Animals eventually become accustomed to such deterrents and find ways to bypass them. In response to these limitations, the study emphasizes the need to adopt modern technological interventions. One such suggested approach involves using GPS-enabled collars and Virtual Fence (VF) systems to detect stray cattle movements. These systems, through sensors and tracking mechanisms, can help monitor the animals' locations and either redirect them to their designated zones or prevent them from entering restricted areas.

In a report of Jabalpur news. In the vegetable market in Jabalpur, the retail vegetable sellers, farmers, and wholesalers are very angry with the veiled animals entering the vegetable temple and eating the vegetables, causing trouble for the general public and the management. The vendors also communicated their pain to the administration so that their problem could be resolved. Covered animals roam in the temple and cause a lot of damage, due to which situations of quarrel and stampede are also created every day. (Hindi et al., 2024). According to a Press Information Bureau (PIB) press release from 2019, there were approximately 5 million (50 lakh) stray cattle in India at that time. According to an article published in (Dainik Bhaskar, August 14, 2024), farmers in Khairagarh district are increasingly distressed due to the menace of stray animals and have been submitting complaints at the District Collectorate. One farmer reported that out of his 5-acre field, crops could be harvested from only 2 acres, while the remaining crop was destroyed by stray cattle. The situation has become so severe that farmers are now compelled to guard their fields themselves.

FIELD OBSERVATION:

During field interactions in the Khairagarh vegetable market and its surrounding areas, it was found that residents and especially vegetable traders are severely troubled by the issue of stray cattle. Vendors reported that every day they are forced to chase away the cattle, and at times even resort to aggressive actions to protect their goods. Local residents living near the market shared that if gateways to homes are not kept secured, stray cattle often enter the premises and damage household items. While they respect cows as sacred animals, they expressed distress over the fact that cattle entering homes, eating stored items, and causing property damage has become a frequent and troubling occurrence. This situation is further complicated by the presence of small children in these households. Parents reported that they feel apprehensive about letting their children play outside, fearing that the children might get injured during cattle fights or due to aggressive behaviour exhibited by the animals. Resolving this issue, they said, has become a serious local challenge.

Some respondents mentioned that, in a way, the presence of cows in the vegetable market allows them to feed the animals, which they otherwise might not do separately. They consider this an “act of virtue (punya)."

OBJECTIVES:

1. To estimate the revenue loss faced by vegetable vendors due to stray cattle.

2. To assess the extent of disruption in daily business activities.

3. To analyse the preventive measures taken by vendors.

HYPOTHESIS:

H₀:Stray cattle do not significantly impact the revenue of vegetable vendors.

H₁:Stray cattle cause significant economic loss for vegetable vendors.

METHODOLOGY:

This study uses a mixed-method research design, combining qualitative (interview and observation) and quantitative (survey, revenue loss calculation) techniques. Analysing the financial impacts of stray cattle infiltration in an urban vegetable market will be the main goal of the study. The research will use both primary and secondary sources of information.

Primary:

Questionnaires and a semi-structured survey with vegetable sellers to calculate economic loss. extensive interviews with local government organizations and market authorities. observation technique to document the incidence and consequences of stray cattle incursions. secondary information updates on the control of stray livestock from the Nagar Nigam and Nagar panchayat. historical economic data on disruptions in urban markets.

Examine the dependent variable:

Loss of money expressed in rupees per day, week, or month.

Independent:

Types and amounts of damaged vegetables, livestock encroachment. Vendors coping mechanisms.

Design of sampling:

All wholesale and retail vegetable vendors in Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai district were considered as the universe/population for this study. The scope of the study covered vegetable markets falling under the jurisdiction of municipal councils and panchayats. Respondents included only those vendors who have been engaged in vegetable selling for a minimum of six months. (Vendors selling fruits and spices were excluded from the sample.

Sample size:

Out of the total number of merchants in the K.C.G district vegetables market, about 120 will be chosen. Sampling strategy: Vendors were categorized into several groups using stratified random sampling. Using purposive sample for interviews with Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai town's municipal officials or market leaders in order to obtain a deeper understanding.

Table 3: Sample size distribution

Area	No. of Market	Vendor each Market	Total
Khairagarh	2	24	48
Chhuikhadan	1	32	32
Gandai	1	40	40
Total			120

Source: Primary data collected by the researcher

Data analysis:

The demographics and business traits of the vegetable vendors at the Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai District vegetables market are examined in this section. Age distribution, genders, years of business, financial loss, cattle training, vendor perception, and government policies and actions are among the data.

Age:

The following table represents the age distribution of Vegetable vendors.

Table 4: Showing Age group of vegetable vendor

Age	Frequency	%
16-25	17	14.17
26-35	32	26.67
36-45	47	39.17
46-55	22	18.33
56-65	2	1.67
Total	120	100%

Source: Primary data collected by the researcher

The majority of vendors are middle-aged, as evidenced by the highest representation (39.17%) of the 36–45 age group. 26.67% of vendors are between the ages of 26-35, and 18.33% are between the ages of 46 and 55. There are fewer older vendors in the market, as only 1.67% of them are between the ages of 56 and 65.

Gender:

Gender of the vegetable vendors.

Table 5: Showing Gender of vegetable vendor

Gender	Frequency	%
Female	52	43.33333
Male	68	56.66667
Total	120	100%

Source: Primary data collected by the researcher

Despite a notable 43.3% female vendor presence, 56.67% of the Gandai vegetable market is dominated by men. In terms of household income and market operations, this demonstrates that both men and women actively participate in the market.

Working Since and Stall size:

The following table show the year in business and stall size.

Table 6: Showing Years of doing business and Size of area used by vegetable vendor

Years in Business	Frequency	%	Stall Size (In feet) area	Frequency	%
0-5	10	8.33	10	53	44.17
6~10	46	38.33	15	26	21.67
11~15	53	44.17	20	23	19.17
16-20	11	9.17	25	18	15.00
Total	120	100%	Total	120	100%

Source: Primary data collected by the researcher

The majority of vegetable vendors (44.17%) have been in the market for 11 to 15 years, followed by those with 6 to 10 years (38.13%). A smaller segment of vendors (9.17%) have been in the market for 16 to 20 years, often being farmer-vendors. The smallest group is new vendors (8.33%). The most common stall size is 10-foot, used by 53 vendors (44.17%). Larger stalls are maintained by 18 vendors, while 26 operate 15-foot stalls and 23 use 20-foot stalls. Stall dimensions vary across different market areas, reflecting the overall working area each vendor occupies.

Table 7: Solution offered and responded by Vendors.

Solutions	Options suggested	Number of Vendor Agree	In Percentage (%)
Muncipal Actions	Municipal Cattle removal	72	60.00
	Cattle Shelter	46	38.33
	Fines on owner	3	2.50
Market Based Solution	Secuirty gaurds	21	17.50
	Fensing	85	70.83
	Vendor own model	13	10.83
Total Vendors	120

Source: Primary data collected by the researcher

Vendors' Perspectives on Solutions Offered by the Municipality for Cattle Management.

Out of the 120 vendors surveyed, 72 vendors supported the idea of municipal authorities removing stray cattle and relocating them to shelters, while 46 vendors agreed with this approach to some extent. Only 3 vendors favored imposing fines on cattle owners, indicating that a punitive approach is not widely supported.

A market-based solution was also discussed. When asked about security arrangements or fencing, 21 vendors preferred deploying security guards, whereas a significant majority of 85 vendors supported the idea of fencing the market area to prevent cattle intrusion. Furthermore, 13 vendors expressed a preference for creating their own protective models or taking individual security measures.

Overall, the findings suggest that most vendors favor preventive and non-punitive measures, especially municipal intervention through sheltering stray cattle and physical infrastructure improvements like fencing, to reduce cattle-related disruptions in the market.

Table 8: Government Actions and Policies

Policy and Government issues in Managing Stray Cattle
Challenges	Government Action	Vendor Satisfaction (1-5)
Lack of cattle shelter	Not Any	1
Strict laws	Not Any	2
Response to complain	Not Any	3

Source: Primary data collected by the researcher

Vendors' Response on Government Actions and Policy Satisfaction

In response to a ranking-based question (scale of 1 to 5) regarding government actions and policies, all 120 vendors unanimously agreed on three major concerns:

1. Lack of proper cattle shelters,

2. Absence of strict enforcement laws, and

3. Poor municipal response to vendor complaints.

The vendors collectively expressed dissatisfaction with all three aspects. When ranking their level of satisfaction, the majority placed them at ranks 1, 2, and 3, Indicating low satisfaction levels and a general sentiment that no effective action has been taken by the authorities to address the stray cattle issue.

Table-11 represent that the information about multivariate tests between economic condition and stray cattle. Table shows that the intercept tests value and stray cattle is significant at 0.000 which is shows the highly impact. We reject the null hypothesis and also Intercept values is more than stray cattle test value which shows that stray cattle play the vital role as the individual but in economic condition impact was at mild level. Data table shows that the vegetable vendors are facing problem with the stray cattle this shows the economic loss of the market.

Impact of stray cattle on farmers of K.C.G District: Farmers in the Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai (K.C.G.) district are significantly affected by the damage caused by stray cattle. During the study, it was found that farmers are compelled to take various protective measures to prevent their crops from being destroyed. However, their primary concern lies more with economic losses than the physical damage itself.

According to one farmer, they cultivate a wide range of vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, bottle gourd, papaya, and eggplant, due to high local demand and increasing market opportunities. Vegetable farming is also preferred because of its commercial value, and with the emergence of large mandis (marketplaces) such as the upcoming Gandai mandi, farmers are further motivated to increase vegetable cultivation year after year.

There is not only a domestic demand for these vegetables but also significant international interest. However, the local consumption is also very high. In such a scenario, stray cattle intrusions into local vegetable markets and mandis result in severe economic losses for both farmers and vegetable vendors.

These cattle often eat or destroy fresh produce, which in turn creates a price distortion in the supply chain. The cost of vegetables increases significantly by the time they reach local vendors from the mandi. As a result, vendors are forced to raise prices to recover their losses caused by stray cattle. The increased prices lead to decreased consumer demand, but since vegetables are perishable goods, both farmers and vendors are left with unavoidable losses.

CONCLUSION:

The economic loss caused by stray cattle to vendors and the overall vegetable market is far from negligible. These intrusions directly affect the daily income and profit margins of vendors, posing a serious threat to their livelihoods. Indirectly, the presence of stray cattle in market spaces creates fear among customers, disrupts the environment, and weakens the foundation of a systematic, hygienic, and safe market structure. It also impacts the mental well-being of vendors, many of whom operate in stressful and insecure conditions.

The absence of appropriate interventions, such as protective fencing, cow catchers, or designated guards, is alarming. A clear policy response is needed. One suggestion is to provide proper shelters (gaushalas) or establish boundaries to keep stray cattle away from markets and roads. However, it is equally important to recognize that cattle are living beings, and their health, hunger, and care must also be considered.

In this context, farmers and cattle owners must also share responsibility by taking better care of their livestock and preventing them from straying. Livestock has always made a substantial contribution to the Indian economy, and in the case of Chhattisgarh, cattle play a particularly significant role in the rural economic structure. Therefore, any sustainable solution must strike a balance between protecting human livelihoods and ensuring animal welfare.

LIMITATION OF THE STUDY:

This study is limited to a single district and, therefore, cannot be generalized to represent the variability across the entire state, as each district has its own unique socio-economic and agricultural landscape. The findings are based on primary data, collected through informal interviews and surveys with vegetable vendors and farmers, which may contain inherent biases due to the nature of informal data collection.

Furthermore, the data were collected post-winter season, a period that may influence the type and volume of vegetables available in the market. Since vegetable cultivation and demand are seasonal in nature, the results might differ in other seasons, affecting the consistency and comparability of the findings over time.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

I sincerely thank my fellow statistician Pranjal Kaser for his dedicated support in the statistical analysis of this study. The findings presented would not have been possible without his efforts and expertise.

REFERENCES:

1. District Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai, Government of Chhattisgarh, Music City, India. (n.d.). https://s351ef186e18dc00c2d31982567235c559.s3waas.gov.in/

2. Livestock Development Department, Government of Chhattisgarh, India https://agriportal.cg.nic.in/ahd/ ahdEn/default.aspx

3. Dwivedi, A. (2023, October 1). Patrika News. https://www.patrika.com/rajnandgaonnews/hi-tech-vegetable-market-will-be-constructed-at-this-place-in-cg-8514668

4. https://www.patrika.com/raigarh-news/trouble-increased-in-the-vegetable-market-due-to-the-presence-of-stray-8184970

5. Hindi, B., Hindi, B., and Bhaskar, (2024, November 15), (Dainik Bhaskar Hindi), https://www.bhaskarhindi.com/city/jabalpur/jabalpur-news-krshi-upaj mandee-mandee prashaasan-mandee-shulk-jabalpur-city-news-jabalpur-daily-updates 1079845

6. 2017, February 16 Dainik Bhaskar. https://www.bhaskar.com/raj-kot-omc-mat-latest-kota-news-054509-2012383-nor.html

7. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1985479

8. Etcfo. (2024, December 14). India’s per capita availability of fruits and vegetables increase by 7 kg and 12 kg over last decade: Report ETCFO.com https://cfo.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/indias-per-capita-availability-of-fruits-and-vegetables-increases-by-7-kg-and-12-kg-over-last-decade report/116312493

9. https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-vegetables

10. Website of Khairagarh-chhuikhadan-gandai, Chhattisgarh Government, https:// s351ef186e18dc00c2d31982567235c559.s3waas.gov.in/hi/.

11. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/wildlife-biodiversity/-india-needs-to-look-beyond gaushalas-to-address-its-stray-cattle-problem–76189

12. https://www.bhaskar.com/local/chhattisgarh/raipur/news/chhattisgarh-khairagarh-farmers troubled-by-stray-animals-133482299.html

13. Mohanty, C. R., Radhakrishnan, R. V., Jain, M., Sasmal, P. K., Hansda, U., Vuppala, S. K., and Doki, S. K. (2021). A study of the pattern of injuries sustained from road traffic accidents caused by impact with stray animals. Journal of Emergencies, Trauma, and Shock, 14(1): 23-27.

14. https://agriwelfare.gov.in/

15. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1813802

16. Bello, R. W., and Moradeyo, O. M. Monitoring cattle grazing behavior and intrusion using global positioning system and virtual fencing. Asian Journal of Mathematical Sciences. 2019

Received on 28.05.2025 Revised on 27.06.2025

Accepted on 21.07.2025 Published on 20.08.2025

Available online from September 02, 2025

Res. J. of Humanities and Social Sciences. 2025;16(3):185-192.

DOI: 10.52711/2321-5828.2025.00031

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Creative Commons License.

Statistical Analysis
Stats	Age	Earning Day	Day loss ₹	Monthly Earn	Monthly Loss	Yearly Earn	Yearly Loss
Mean	37.28	685.83	87.50	17831.67	2275.00	213980.00	27300.00
Median	38.00	500.00	80.00	13000.00	2080.00	156000.00	24960.00
Mode	38.00	200.00	50.00	5200.00	1300.00	62400.00	15600.00
Standard Deviation	9.58	521.48	45.60	13558.46	1185.61	162701.49	14227.38
Standard Error	0.87	47.60	4.16	1237.71	108.23	14852.55	1298.78
Skewness	-0.09	1.72	1.15	1.72	1.15	1.72	1.15
Kurtosis	-0.76	2.53	0.49	2.53	0.49	2.53	0.49

Power Analysis: variable with Economic condition
Variables	Test Value	P-Value	Combine Factor	Remarks
Stary cattle	9.12	0.004	0.86	Highly Connected
Weekly tread fees	8.64	0.001	0.86	Highly Connected

Multivariate Tests between Economic condition and Stray Cattle.
Effect		Value	F	Hypothesis df	Error df	Sig.
Intercept	Pillai's Trace	0.986	843.613^b	15.000	177.000	0.000
	Wilks' Lambda	0.014	843.613^b	15.000	177.000	0.000
	Hotelling's Trace	71.493	843.613^b	15.000	177.000	0.000
	Roy's Largest Root	71.493	843.613^b	15.000	177.000	0.000
Stray Cattle	Pillai's Trace	0.523	2.521	45.000	537.000	0.000
	Wilks' Lambda	0.550	2.613	45.000	526.603	0.000
	Hotelling's Trace	0.692	2.702	45.000	527.000	0.000
	Roy's Largest Root	0.438	5.230^c	15.000	179.000	0.000
a. Design: Intercept + Stray Cattle
b. Exact statistic
c. The statistic is an upper bound on F that yields a lower bound on the significance level.