India’s leather exporters are planning to appeal to the environment ministry to allow trading of buffaloes, a move that comes in the wake of the ministry’s decision to ban buying or selling of cattle at animal markets for slaughtering to prevent cruelty to animals.
“Only the buffalo is of concern to us because that was allowed for slaughter. We are only asking for the exclusion of buffalo from the notification,” said Aqeel Panaruna, vice chairman of the Council for Leather Exports.
On Tuesday, the Federation of Indian Export Organisations took up the issue with the commerce ministry. Ministry officials said they will look into the concerns raised with regard to availability of inputs for exports.
Of the $5.66 billion leather exports in 2016-17, most were made from buffalo skin. The environment ministry’s May 26 notification banned trading of cows, bulls, buffaloes, heifers, calves and camels, triggering an alarm among exporters, who said trading of buffaloes should be allowed, just as it is done in the case of goats and sheep.
via slaughter ban: Leather exporters want buffaloes out of cattle ban list – The Economic Times
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