The government will evaluate all suggestions that come in response to the ban on cattle sale for slaughter at mandis, and make sure that interests of farmers are protected, Purshottam Rupala, minister of state for agriculture and farmers welfare, said.
“We will be speaking to farmers and will address any issue they have after this notification. Our government and ministry is there for farmers welfare,” he told ET.
The government expects the ban to help farmers because only healthy livestock would now be trade in rural markets. However, the move has rattled the Rs 26,000 crore buffalo meat export industry.
Officials said the new rule were focused on preventing cruelty towards animals, curbing illegal trade and smuggling of animals. Rupala said that when there is a new development, such as the new rules for cattle trade, there are issues that emerge, and these get resolved.
An official said the government does not want to regulate cattle trade for slaughterhouses, but meat exporters complain that their costs would rise and India will lose market share to Brazil because of the disruption in the centuries-old system that supplies 80 per cent of the meat. Industry players say the government notification has come as a blow at a time when things had begun stabilizing following the demonetisation and the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to impose restrictions on slaughter houses.
While some exporters said the new rules came as a surprise to them, officials said that the government had given ample opportunity for the trade to present its point of view when draft rules were publicised in mid-January and suggestions were invited for a month. The government considered the 13 representations it received and incorporated the suggestions which it found suitable.
Industry associations such as All India Jamiatul Quresh and All India Meat and Livestock Exporters Association plan to meet the new environment minister Harsh Vardhan on Monday to take up the issue.
“At stake are the livelihood of 5 crore people including farmers, traders, transporters and companies who process over 2.5 lakh crore buffalo meat,” said Sirajuddin Qureshi, owner of Hind Agro Industries and president of All India Jamiatul Quresh, an association of meat traders. “There is no clarity in the government notification, which needs to be addressed.” “Over 80 per cent of the animal buying happens from mandis and rest from individual farmers. Now, how can we change the entire system overnight?” he said.
Indian buffalo meat has good demand in the world market as India sells ‘halal’ meat, which is preferred by many countries. Vietnam, Malaysia, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are the major buyers of Indian buffalo meat.
Fauzan Alavi, spokesperson for the All India Meat and Livestock Exporters Association, which represents buffalo meat exporters, said the government should have discussed the issue with the industry and farmers’ associations before coming up with the notification.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com