THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As Kerala prepares to celebrate Easter and Eid al-Fitr, scarcity of livestock is posing a challenge to traders in the city. Due to anti-slaughter laws in many neighbouring states, traders are demanding intervention of state government to transport cattle safely
With Easter and Eid al-Fitr just weeks away the demand for meat has gone up in the state. However, due to the shortage of cattle arriving from neighbouring states, meat traders are struggling to meet the growing demand. It is learnt that the anti-slaughter policies in other states have hit the meat trade in Kerala adversely.
Around 90 per cent of the livestock comes from other states and 60 per cent from Andhra Pradesh. As per estimates by the state government, around 1.5 lakh livestock ar ebrought to state every month. According to market experts, the demand has doubled due to Easter and Eid. They added that close to 3 lakh livestock are expected to arrive in the state this month. Despite all the challenges, the meat traders in the capital are sourcing livestock from other districts and states to meet the growing demand. According to traders, the demand will further go up a day ahead of Easter.
Fazil A, who has been in the meat business for the past 25 years, said the demand has gone up this festival season.
“We are getting good business. The main problem is we don’t have cattle farms in Kerala. In other states, they take it up as a livelihood. We have to either source meat from Tamil Nadu or the northern districts of Kerala like Palakkad. Hence, there is a disparity in prices charged by the traders. The rate of beef ranges from Rs 350 to Rs 450,” said Fazil A, a trader at Valiyathura in Thiruvananthapuram. He said people prefer beef or chicken to mutton because of the price. Mutton costs around `800 to `850 per kg. “The rate of beef is different or fluctuates because of the rise in fuel prices. Some traders who source it from Palakkad or far away places are forced to charge more,” he added.
With the arrival of cattle from neighbouring states turning into an issue due to anti-slaughter policies, the Kerala Cattle Merchants Association has sought the help of the state government. However, the government is yet to intervene and ensure the smooth arrival of cattle from other states, they say. “Animals and vehicles are getting seized by hooligans on the way. Karnataka has banned slaughter but the government hasn’t introduced any restrictions on the transportation of cattle. We have raised this issue many times with the state government. Help is yet to come,” said M K Ummer of Kerala Cattle Merchants Association. He said the government should bring in law and impose a tax on the cattle. It should also ensure safe passage to bring cattle from other states.
The meat traders in the state have now started bringing livestock from northern states, including UP, Haryana and Punjab. President of Meat Industries Welfare Association (India) Saleem M A said there was scarcity because of the growing demand.
“There is a sudden spurt in the demand for meat in the state because of the festival season and now we have to source cattle from northern states,” said Saleem.