‘Consider setting up hi-tech slaughterhouses’

Congress member K.R. Ramesh Kumar on Thursday suggested to the State government to examine the possibility of setting up hi-tech slaughterhouses to explore the export potential for meat.

Participating in a debate on the State Budget in the Assembly, Mr. Ramesh Kumar pointed out that there was a huge demand for pork and beef in foreign markets. This would help farmers to earn remunerative incomes, he said.

Making it clear that he was not against the religious beliefs and the holy status given to the cow, he urged the authorities to understand that such beliefs were towards the native cows. But cross-breed cows were being reared for commercial purposes and their male calves were a burden for farmers since it was a costly affair to look after them. He pointed out that the anti-cow slaughter legislation had banned their slaughter too.

Pointing out that the State had different agro-climatic zones, Mr. Kumar demanded that every district or region should have an agricultural prices commission.

‘Buy cows’

Earlier, BSP member N. Mahesh urged the government to formulate a scheme to buy “non-productive cows” from farmers to ensure that growers were not adversely impacted owing to the implementation of the anti-cow slaughter legislation. He demanded that the government pay farmers while getting non-productive cows as the legislation had barred their sale for slaughtering. He also demanded setting up of goshalas in all taluks.