Stray cattle issue, a reality check | The Indian Express

Stray cattle issue, a reality check | The Indian Express

Written by Fauzan Alavi |Updated: June 29, 2019 1:00:51 am

The writer is a director of Allanasons Ltd

Stray cattle issue, a reality check

Don’t lay blame, analyse consequences of enforcing laws against cattle slaughter

In the last few years, there has been much talk about stray cattle causing distress to farmers, especially in UP and the NCR. This narrative ascribes the problem to the ban on cow slaughter.(Representational Image)

India is home to the largest livestock population in the world. The country is also the biggest producer of milk in the world, apart from being the third largest bovine meat exporter to almost 70 countries. There are links between the two sectors. The spent buffaloes are utilised by the bovine meat sector. That is why it’s extremely rare to see a stray buffalo in most parts of the country. The farmer can sell his unproductive buffalo in the open market and get almost 40 per cent of his original investment as the termination value — this he can utilise to purchase buffaloes.