The Centre has decided to strengthen vigil along ports to ensure that there is no illegal export of cow meat which is banned in India. Buffalo meat export is, however, allowed.
Amidst the raging controversy over killing of a man in a Dadri village over rumours of eating beef, Union Minister of State for Agriculture Sanjeev Balyan on Tuesday reviewed the export of meat with senior officials of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and the Departments of Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Food Processing.
Among other measures, the government had withdrawn 25 per cent transport subsidy on meat export and strengthened its regulation viz-a-viz the weight of the packed meat that is sent abroad. Meat export was 14.7 per cent lower between April and August this year than in the corresponding period in the previous year. Export of meat is mostly to Vietnam, Africa and the Middle-East.
In the meeting it was decided to set up testing laboratories at ports for random testing of meat that is being exported to ensure that there was no illegal export. Beef, outside of India, comprises meat of cow as well as buffalo. In India, however, beef is termed as cow meat.
“APEDA officials said there is no illegal export of cow meat as production and exports are strictly monitored through a software, ‘Meat Net.’ However, it has been decided to set up labs at ports to check illegal export of cow meat,” Mr. Balyan told journalists.
Buffalo exports are being done by 49 slaughter houses recognised and licensed by the APEDA of which 20 are in Uttar Pradesh. There are 1,696 slaughter houses in the country, all of which are administered by the State governments. The maximum number of them are in Maharashtra, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Telangana.
Asked about a Central Law on cow slaughter, he said there was no such proposal. Cow slaughter was a state subject. As of now cow slaughter was banned in the country except in five States including Kerala, West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. Some of the States that have banned cow slaughter do allow consumption of beef if it is brought from another state where there is no ban.
