UPA's Pink Revolution Makes India World's Biggest Beef Exporter

[naveen mishra]

BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, it seems, was on the mark when he said the only revolution happening in UPA-ruled India was the ‘pink revolution’, a euphemism for the meat business. The country, where eating beef is a sensitive religious issue, has become the biggest beef exporter in the world, beating Brazil.

This is as per the latest meat exports figures from the Ministry of Food Processing. The data shows that India exported 1.89 million tonnes of beef in 2012-2013, which is a 50 per cent increase over five years ago.

Poultry exports have gone up too. The country exported 3.5 million tonnes of poultry last fiscal, a 6 per cent hike over the previous year, putting India in the third place after the US and Brazil.

Figures show that export earnings from meat have touched Rs 21,000 crore in 2012-2013. The major markets for Indian meat are to be found in the US, Europe, the Gulf and South-East Asian countries.

“It is a fact that the government is giving increased attention to introducing international standards in meat production. Our department has played a crucial role and we are happy about it,’’ says an official with the Department of Animal Husbandry.

According to him, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), is out to improve the quality and safety requirements for both the domestic market and the export industry. In the last one year, APEDA has approved 170 integrated abattoirs, slaughterhouses and meat processing plants across the country, apart from announcing subsidies worth `15 crore to the modernizing of abattoirs.

Even the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) acknowledges that the government has played a crucial role in enhancing meat production and export. “While a larger herd supports an increase in beef production, government programmes also encourage production. For instance, the ‘Salvaging and Rearing of Male Buffalo Calves Scheme’ and the ‘Utilization of Fallen Animals’ improved carcass utilization programmes were incorporated in the government’s 11th Five Year Plan (2007-2012) and will also be in included in the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-2017),’’ USDA said in its annual report.

Uttar Pradesh is the biggest producer of meat, especially beef, while Kerala is the biggest consumer. Cow slaughter is banned in most Indian states, including Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan. It is legal only in Kerala, West Bengal and the north-eastern states.

“Officially, the slaughter of cows is banned and beef production is actually buffalo meat. Here too, the slaughter is restricted to males and unproductive females,’’ explains the Department of Animal Husbandry official.

But he accepts that there are instances of cow meat being labelled buffalo meat only to be renamed once it reaches its destination. When asked about Modi’s allegation about the UPA government’s ‘secret agenda for export of beef’, the official says: “There is no secret. All schemes are announced openly.’’

UPA's Pink Revolution Makes India World's Biggest Beef Exporter -The New Indian Express

 

[Koovie]

How can the Central government decide on whether such things are allowed in the states or not?

 

[Manvantaratruti]

How can the Central government decide on whether such things are allowed in the states or not?

Because making Laws comes under center.

 

[Koovie]

Because making Laws comes under center.

Yes, but each state has its own legislative power on its own... and can even oppose decisions made by the centre (look at the FDI in retail mess).

 

[Imran Khan]

so whats wrong ? every human has right to do so

 

[Sourya Kharb]

Yes if State Government want they can oppose this law. Like in Gujarat

 

[bronxbull]

Beef should be banned.

 

[Manvantaratruti]

Yes, but each state has its own legislative power on its own... and can even oppose decisions made by the centre (look at the FDI in retail mess).

India has a Federal structure and the state can only legislate on limited matters. The center has exclusive powers over Trade and commerce with other nations including import and export.

 

[Koovie]

India has a Federal structure and the state can only legislate on limited matters. The center has exclusive powers over Trade and commerce with other nations inducing import and export.

Even if the center can ban import and export of it, it cannot rule on the consumption within the state, right?

 

[Manvantaratruti]

Even if the center can ban import and export of it, it cannot rule on the consumption within the state, right?

It can (if required) by 2/3rd Majority.

 

[SarthakGanguly]

What's the big fuss?

Big question? Ask the people - hold a referendum all over the nation and make the decision.

 

[Black Widow]

I am against beef export, Not because of my religious belief but because of some specific reason.

Indian don't grow cow for meat, hence the Butcher kill the normal cows. Which is reducing per capita cattle.


It will be okay if farmer cultivate/farm cow for meat so that normal cow live and feed Indain with milk.

 

[cloud_9]

Most of it is bovine meat.

 

[godofwar]

My theory is that to support an extremely large population with primitive techniques of farming, society has to be either 100% vegetarian or omnivore.
Chinese choose to be omnivorous- they ate everything from dogs to worms to sharks
Indians choose to be vegetarians and in such a scenario cow were very important since cow milk is a freely available source of proteins.So people started worshiping cows and gradually it became a dogma.
People in parts of India drank cow urine because cows used to eat fresh plants in the old days and cow urine had all the water soluble vitamins.This too became a dogma eventually.

We need to move away from such dogmas.

 

[Mech]

Beef should be banned.

You can migrate to a state where its banned. Much easier than new legislation.