MANGALURU: Against the backdrop of members of a minority comminty being targeted by 'gau rakshaks', 48-year-old Ahmed
Musthafa stands as a symbol of love for cows among Muslims.
Musthafa started rearing cows 12 years ago, with three Jersey cows. Today, he is the owner of
Hajaj Farm
, which boasts 33 cows including the Australian Holstein Frisesian (HF) breed. He supplies 250 litres of milk to the local market on a daily basis. Son of industrialist Abdul Khader, Musthafa was keen on taking up dairy farming ever since he was a child.
Speaking to STOI, Musthafa recalled helping his parents rear the two or three cows they had at their ancestral home. "I built a cowshed 12 years ago and started dairy farming with three Jersey breed milch cows. Today, there are 27 milch cows and six calves on my farm. I look after them like my children and I dedicate sufficient time every day to feed cows and maintain the cowshed," he added.
A volleyball and a kabaddi player, Musthafa is a member of various social organisations. He pointed out that he never viewed dairy farming as a profit making industry, but treated it as a passion. His passion for 'gau raksha' or cow protection has also earned him laurels from many social organisations. "I have spent a lot of money in this venture and also suffered losses. However, in recent years, it has become a profitable business as the subsidy rate that
Karnataka Milk Factory
(KMF) offers to farmers is a bonus," he said.