Economists, scientists against total ban on cow slaughter

New Delhi: Economists and scientists do not favour a total ban on cow slaughter because such a step will have a disastrous effect on Indian economy.

A complete ban will invite a critical food situation and will hit the dairy, hides, bonemeal and meat industries severely.

An expert committee appointed by the food ministry rejected a total ban on cow slaughter as the cattle population in India has already reached a supersaturation point. This committee recommended a drastic reduction of “uneconomic animals” to boost the multiplication of good milch cows and thus increase, India’s milk production.

The Central Council of Gosamvardhana under the food ministry has also shown its concern at the alarming rate of increase of cattle.

While the human population in India increases at the rate of 2.5 per cent a year, cattle are not far behind with a 2.3 per cent rate of growth.

Scientists warn that if human population has to survive, the tremendous pressure on land resulting from acute competition between man and beast for food should stop. While fodder production in the country is hardly sufficient to feed half the number of cattle, no more cultivable land is available for fodder cultivation.

If a complete ban on cow slaughter is effected, the rate of cattle growth in the country would touch the alarming figure of six per cent a year. This would create a severe cattle population problem — even more severe than India’s population problem, scientists point out.

According to V. Kurian, general manager of the Anand Cooperative Dairy in Gujarat, cattle owners in India lose `1,000 crores a year. While income from milk production is only `5 crores a day to Indian milk producers, they spend `8 crores a day to maintain the milk-yielding animals.