Lucknow, May 10 -- Alongside the routine annual wheat procurement at the minimum support price (MSP) from farmers in Uttar Pradesh, another commodity has quietly made it to the government's shopping cart - straw or bhoosa for stray cattle.

Bhoosa, a byproduct of the wheat crop, has now become a sought-after commodity as the state procures tonnes of it to keep stray cattle shelters across the state well-fed throughout the year.

The UP government has launched a special bhoosa collection campaign to ensure adequate feed for around 13 lakh stray cattle housed in over 7,500 conservation centres across the state.

The practice began a few years ago after the Yogi Adityanath government started conserving destitute cattle and feeding them becam...