'Ban on cattle sale for slaughter aimed at protecting farming'

Union Minister of State Pon Radhakrishnan today said the Centre has banned sale of cattle to slaughter houses only to protect and increase revenue of farm sector and asked political leaders not to belittle or denigrate the initiative.

"Cow is the foundation for the farming sector ..we need to protect the local cow species... protect farming. If cows are sold there will be scarcity for milk and farming sector will also face scarcity of sort," he told reporters here.

Normally no farmer would like to sell his cattle and resorts to such measure only due to 'family circumstances', he said without elaborating.

Sale of cattle for slaughter houses had been banned only to increase the farm sector revenue, he added.

The Minister criticised Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Kathci leader Thol Tirumavalavan for his statement that only RSS can protect cows and said "We can understand how inhuman people can be by making such remarks."

The Union environment ministry has notified the stringent 'Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017' under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act which prohibits sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)