Press release on 6 th Mayors Conference

The meat industry in the country has defied the economic downturn and grown at a brisk pace of 13 per cent in 2011-12 over the previous year as per the latest data available in the Animal Husbandry Statistics compiled by the Department of Animal Husbandry Dairying and Fisheries under Ministry of Agriculture. The growth rate of meat production during the last four years of 11th Plan (2008-09 to 2011-12) was 7 per cent compared to growth of 4 per cent during the 10 th Plan. There is a growing demand for meat and meat products , supported by a young population and changes in the food consumption pattern with shift from simple grain based diet to a diet which includes more vegetables, eggs, milk, fruits and meat, especially among the middle class. Another trend visible of late is the increasing demand for convenience items such as semi cooked ready-to-eat, ready-to-cook meat food products. Some frozen meat and poultry products are already available in the market and their demand is increasing. Yet the meat sectors output is way below potential due to a multiplicity of reasons.Slaughter of animals for food is a Sta te subject and regulated by local bodies through licensing of slaughterhouses and retail meat shops. However, most ofthe municipal slaughterhouses lack modern machinery and equipment with inadequate attention, hygiene and sanitation. The facilities for effluent treatment and waste disposal in these traditional slaughterhouses are far from satisfactory. The utilization of slaughter house by-products such as skins, edible offal, blood, bristles,etc. is low and lacks the desired level of quality; this has limi ted the prospects of downstream industries that can address both domestic as well as external markets and can be a source of gainful employment. Alarmed by the present condition of slaughter establishments, a number of PILs have been filed in the Supreme Court of India seeking directions to the State Governments as well as the Government of India to effectively implement the statutory rules relating to prevention of cruelty to animals and pollution control. The Honble Supreme Court in its order dated 23rd August 2012 in the Writ Petition (Civil) No. 309 of 2003 - Laxmi Narain Modi versus Union of India and others has directed all State Governments and Union Territories to constitute committees for slaughterhouses to fulfil mandatory requirements under various legislations dealing with the functioning of slaughterhouses in the country. The functions of the State Committees as mandated by the Court include preparing database of slaughterhouses, recommending modernisation of old slaughterhouses, identification of unlicensed and unlawful slaughterhouses and to crack down on these with the help of local administration and law enforcing agencies and to check for child labour.

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The Court directions are expected to spur the State Governments to review the condition of existing slaughterhouses and to take up plans for their modernization. On its part, Government of India has taken several steps to enhance production of safe meat and generate awareness about issues related to food safety, standard, hygiene, and animal welfare, backward and forward linkages.Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has been implementingan infrastructure scheme for modernization of abattoirs since the 11th Plan.Also, in the 12th Plan, under the National Mission on Food Processing, MoFPI has introduced a scheme for modernization of meat shops, under which a grant of Rs. 5 lakh can be given by State Governments for modernization of each meat shop. State Governments have been asked to identify cities where this scheme will be started in 2013-14. Government has also set up the National Meat and Poultry Processing Board (NMPPB) as a registered society. The mandate of the Board which was established in 2009 is to create an enabling environment for the development of the meat & poultry processing sector and production of healthy and hygienic meat and meat products. The Board has been taking up awareness generation programmes for development of the meat sector on sustainable basis. The 6th Mayors Conference was organised by the NMPPB in association with FICCI on 13-14 September 2013 at New Delhi. The conference was inaugurated by Dr Charan Das Mahant, Honble Union Minister of State for Food Processing and Agriculture. Mayors and Chairmen from several municipalities and their municipal commissioners participated in the Conference. In all nearly 100 participants attended the Conference and shared their views and concerns. It was agreed that the Municipal Boards have to take initiativesto provide facilities for safe and hygienic production of meat. Availability of suitable land was identified as the major constraint in taking up abattoir modernization projects. The special needs of hill states like Himachal Pradesh were also highlighted.

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