JAIPUR: The renowned Pushkar annual cattle fair in Rajasthan, traditionally a hub for camel and bovine sales, saw a significant shift in trends this year with a remarkable increase in the sale of Marwadi and Kathiawadi horses.This overshadowed the traditional livestock sales, marking a notable change in buyer preferences.According to the state animal husbandry department, as of Friday, 224 horses have been sold for an estimated Rs 75 lakh.The department also addressed and dismissed social media claims of exorbitantly priced horse sales, clarifying that the highest price recorded so far is Rs 4.6 lakh for a horse sold by a Jaipur-based owner to a buyer from Uttarakhand.Traditionally, the fair has been a marketplace for cows and buffaloes but buyers are now shifting their focus towards horses.“For the last few years, this has been a trend as people are inclined towards purchasing horses, which in rural areas are still a mode of transportation,” a senior officer from the animal husbandry department said.Following horses, camels have also seen significant sales, with 207 camels sold for a total of Rs 35 lakh by Oct 30. In contrast, only five buffaloes and one cow have been sold at the fair. “People are interested in horses and camels as a means of transportation. In many districts, camel carts and horse carts are still used for transporting food grain to mandi (wholesale markets),” Sunil Ghiya, joint director of animal husbandry, told TOI.Ghiya also refuted social media claims of a horse being sold for over a crore rupees, confirming the most expensive horse was sold for Rs 4.6 lakh by Kailash, a resident of Amber near Jaipur, to one Dilip Choudhary of Haridwar in Uttarakhand.The lowest price for a camel was Rs 8,000, sold by Hasan Khan of Jaisalmer’s Sam area to one Banwari of Tonk. The shift in livestock sales is attributed to the advent of modern farming equipment, which has reduced the necessity for bulls in agriculture.“Bulls are no longer used for agricultural purposes with the availability of advanced tractors and other equipment. Also, it is unsafe to purchase cows or buffaloes from such fairs due to the risk of attacks on vehicles transporting them. We prefer buying them from local markets,” said Choturam Devasi, a cattle farmer from the Raniwara area in Jalore.