Livestock auctions remained on hold for the majority of the lockdown as there was no clarity on the matter.
"The Centre has been encouraging the meat industry and the food processing ministry too provides aid of upto 50 per cent to support them. But the UP government has ordered a ban on all mechanised slaughter houses," a senior functionary of the All India Meat and Livestock Exporters Association said.
Ban on US-EU import of meat & poultry products could, if we get active, allow us to access a $128-billion market.
Kerala, West Bengal, Puducherry slam the government's decision to ban sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter; meat traders fear spike in cow vigilantism.
'Gau rakshaks portray themselves to be bigger than the chief minister and Prime Minister Modi.' 'We have lost business of Rs 4,000 crore in UP alone since the BJP manifesto was released.'
Union Minister Maneka Gandhi has expressed concern about India being the world's largest beef exporter and claimed that the money from illegal animal slaughter was used for perpetrating acts of terrorism.