To wean the state away from relying on cows bought from other parts of the country, the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department is working towards making Meghalaya self-sufficient in beef, the minister, Sanbor Shullai, told the Assembly today.
Replying to a short duration discussion on the scarcity of staples in the state and restriction of cattle movement, which was raised by the opposition Congress Party, Shullai admitted that the price of beef has gone up in the last two months.
“This may be due to reduced inflow of cattle from outside the state, due to smuggling across the international border or insufficient availability of quality breed of local cattle for meat purposes,” he said.
Meghalaya currently has an annual demand of 25,000 tonnes of beef.
Importing cows for meat has become more complicated recently because of neighbouring Assam’s Cattle Preservation Act 2021, which has not only restricted the slaughter of cattle in Assam but also affected the transport of cattle for meat through the state and on to Meghalaya.
To therefore attain self-sufficiency and reduce Meghalaya’s dependence on outside, the government has procured Ongole bulls and batches of their semen to breed with local varieties of cattle. The Ongole breed originated in Andhra Pradesh and is widely favoured for being resistant to certain diseases.
According to the minister, Ongoles gain weight of up to 550kg in a short time, which is useful for beef production.
Meanwhile, Shullai also said that all the livestock missions launched in the state are aimed at achieving self-sufficiency in pork, chicken and milk production. He also said that the National Livestock Mission launched by the government of India will bring self-sufficiency in beef, milk, poultry and pork.
On the issue of difficulties faced by cattle traders of the state due to Assam’s legislation, Shullai said that to ensure smooth transport of cattle through Assam by the state’s traders, the department is liaising with the police and the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department of Assam. He also said that Meghalaya will soon frame rules to facilitate cattle transportation without problem for local traders.
Earlier, the Congress slammed Assam for putting burdensome hurdles in the import of cows into Meghalaya.
“It is beyond my comprehension to understand why an inter-state corridor, a road that only gives us access to enter our own state through another should be allowed to impose such restrictions,” East Shillong MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh said, adding that the certification needed by the cattle traders has become so complicated that it is giving scope for corruption.
Earlier, while initiating the discussion, Umroi MLA George Lyngdoh said that the NITI Aayog report has revealed alarming health indicators in Meghalaya.
He pointed out that more than 30 percent of children under the age of five are stunted and the proportion of underweight children ranges from 20 to 30 percent. Anaemia in pregnant mothers and children also vary from 30 to 60 percent.
“Such figures indicate that there is a problem in accessing a healthy diet and our vulnerable sections of society, especially women and children, cannot get access in a proper manner that will improve their health,” the Umroi MLA said.
He added that the dependability of Meghalaya on various outside suppliers has been the hindrance.
On beef, Mawsynram MLA Himalaya Shangpliang said that Meghalaya consumes more than 25,000 tonnes of the meat in a year but this is unsustainable as it currently costs Rs 500 per kilogramme.
“The meat that once upon a time a poor man’s family could happily enjoy is now no longer an affordable item,” Shangpliang said.
He also added that Assam’s cow protection act has made things even more difficult for the people of Meghalaya.
According to him, the legislation conflicts with national laws as it mandates that traders have a transit pass during transportation of cattle through Assam. He said that the act passed by Assam mentions that the transit pass must be obtained from Meghalaya, whereas the central government says that identification and quality checks must be obtained from the state the cattle are being brought from.
“The cattle traders of our state should be given temporary permits and the government should ensure that none of the cattle traders are harassed by the Assam government on the way while transporting the cattle through Assam,” Shangpliang said.
