Closure fears in Palakkad cattle markets

PALAKKAD: Major cattle trade markets in the district are facing the threat of closure after the Union government banned the sale and purchase of cattle for slaughter across the country.
Kuzhalmannam, the centuries-old and biggest cattle market in the state, normally witnesses an influx of buyers not only from Kerala but also from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra during its weekly market on Saturdays.Every Saturday an average of 100 loads of cattle will arrive at the Kuzhalmannam market. However, the first Saturday market after the ban saw 160 loads of cattle coming in for trade as farmers got panic wanted to dispose of their livestock.
In the five major cattle markets in the district, 11,000 cattle used to be traded every week with an average turnover of Rs 20 core, said E R Sukumaran, whose family runs the Kuzhalmannam market for the past six decades. He said that the market was affected since August 2015 when transportation of cattle from other states was restricted.
Other cattle markets in the district- Vaniyamkulam, Kongad, Kottathara and Elippara - also fear closure. Chenthamara, a cattle trader, said that the new order will result in the closure of cattle markets and livestock trading business on which over five lakh families are depended upon in the state.
Secretary of All India Meet and Livestock Exporters Association D B Sabarwal said that the new order will hit the livestock industry badly and may result in its virtual closure. "Abattoirs get only 10% of the cattle directly from farmers. The rest is from cattle markets. The ban will result in the closure of cattle markets and affect meat industry," he said.