States may open meat markets, allow movement of livestock

NEW DELHI: States like UP, Punjab and Rajasthan are mulling reopening of animal markets — for sheep, goat and buffalo — amid rising demand for beef exports and increase in orders for mutton from restaurants that are conducting home delivery.
Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot told TOI the government was hopeful livestock trading would pick up in the next few weeks as animal markets reopen. “The demand for meat had fallen by up to 15%. We are hopeful the market will revive.” UP animal husbandry minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhari said his government has asked district administrations to explore possibility of opening of at least “a few animal markets”. Overall, 800 animal markets exist in UP.
The minister told TOI that eggs and fisheries were allowed initially and now the government is mulling opening up of livestock trading in adherence with social distancing norms. “Eggs worth Rs 15 crore have been sold in UP during the ongoing lockdown,” he said.
In Punjab, animal husbandry minister Tripat Bajwa said that the government was losing Rs 6 crore every month that it earned from tax collection at livestock markets. He has convened a meeting to mull reopening of at least two of them in the next two weeks.