Mutton Row: The fact-finding committee recommends Rs 518 Kg for mutton in Kashmir
The fact-finding team that visited various livestock markets outside J&K to ascertain the viable rates at which mutton could be sold in the Valley Tuesday recommended the government to allow mutton retailers to sell Grade-A meat at Rs 518 per kilogram.
In this regard the team comprising of members of the All Kashmir Wholesale Mutton Dealers Association, Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) and local journalists that travelled to different cities and states to find the mutton prices submitted a report to the director of Department of Civil Supply, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution and the Divisional Administration.
The report suggests that there was a variation in rates of livestock in different markets and the team took a mean of all rates suggesting sale of Grade-A mutton at Rs 518 without any profit.
The team report said that the government can later on fix the profit after considering the rates recommended by the fact-finding team.
The livestock markets wherein the fact-finding team visited includes the livestock market of Ghazipur Delhi, Sikar Rajasthan, Ambala and Amritsar.
Following the submission of the report to the government, the KEA said that the deadlock between the administration and meat dealers over meat prices in the Valley is likely to end with the submission of this report.
The 18-page report details the prices of meat in Delhi, Rajasthan, Ambala and Amritsar markets.
The report of fact-finding team reads that in livestock markets of Sekhar Rajasthan, best live cattle were available with a good breed, while in Amritsar livestock markets sheep and goats were of lower quality.
“The meat from Rajasthan Mandi reaches the valley at an average price of Rs. 541 per kg, while the average price of meat from Delhi Mandi in the valley is around Rs. 527. The price of meat from Ambala is estimated at Rs. 516. The average price of meat from Amritsar in the Kashmir markets is about Rs 490,” it reads.
“Taking into account the rates of meat in all four markets, the fact-finding team has presented a break-up of the price of meat at Rs 518.5 per kg,” the report reads.
