Vijayawada: The price of Aseel roosters, the cornerstone of Sankranti cockfights, surged by 30-40% this year, posing a significant challenge for breeders and participants.
The steep price hike is attributed to viral diseases that drastically reduced availability of these prized birds.
Sankranti, the harvest festival, is celebrated on a grand note across the state. Cockfights occupy a significant place in the celebrations. Around 860 festive committees organised traditional cockfights during the 2024 Sankranti in the state, and the majority of play arenas were in Bhimavaram region.
Breeders are meticulously preparing their roosters with special diets and rigorous training to enhance their strength and agility. Aseel and Peruvian Double Cross roosters are highly sought after for their performance in these events. Many breeders say that there is a huge demand and poor supply this year. The price of fine quality trained roosters increased from Rs 20,000 to Rs 55,000 in December 2023 to Rs 28,000 to Rs 75,000 in December 2024.
However, breeders say that viral outbreaks caused widespread losses. “It takes nine months to prepare a rooster for cockfights. After two months of breeding, we identify the suitable ones, raise them in free-range environments, and provide specialised diets. This year, 40% of the birds succumbed to diseases, forcing us to spend heavily on their care,” said Vegesina Ratnakar Raju, a breeder from Kalidindi in Krishna district.
Despite the challenges, the enthusiasm for cockfights remains strong. These events, traditionally held during Sankranti, often involve high-stakes illegal betting, with crores changing hands in secret locations. Cockfights also continue beyond the festival, extending into December, January, and February, often evading police scrutiny.
The intensity of these events is particularly high in districts like Eluru, Krishna, NTR, and West Godavari. Recently, the police raided a betting camp in Mylavaram, arresting 47 individuals and seizing significant amounts of cash and roosters. Authorities are deploying special surveillance systems to crack down on these activities.
“While cockfights remain a vibrant part of Andhra Pradesh’s cultural traditions, the rising costs of Aseel roosters and increased police monitoring definitely hamper the spirit. We have decided not to encourage betting in cockfights at our village. Since Sankranti is a farmers’ festival, we have also requested the farmers to bring their own roosters for cockfights instead of buying them at high cost,” said Metla Chinnababu, a festive committee member from Munjuluru of Krishna district.
