📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Michael Gäbler
Agriculture
Tamil Nadu Cattle Shandies Decline Amid Online Trade and Shrinking Cattle Numbers
✍️ The New Indian Express
🗓 26 Jul 2026, 10:03 AM
👁 1
Traditional cattle shandies in Tamil Nadu are facing decline as online marketplaces reduce demand and the state’s cattle population dwindles.
Cattle shandies, the hand‑crafted leather goods made from cowhide, have long been a hallmark of Tamil Nadu’s rural economy and cultural heritage.
The rise of e‑commerce platforms has shifted consumer preferences toward mass‑produced alternatives, cutting the demand for locally made shandies.
At the same time, the state’s cattle numbers have fallen sharply, limiting the raw material supply for artisans.
Together, these factors are eroding a traditional craft that once supported thousands of families across the region.
The rise of e‑commerce platforms has shifted consumer preferences toward mass‑produced alternatives, cutting the demand for locally made shandies.
At the same time, the state’s cattle numbers have fallen sharply, limiting the raw material supply for artisans.
Together, these factors are eroding a traditional craft that once supported thousands of families across the region.