Non-vegetarians on Sunday were left craving for meat with the Janata Curfew ensuring closure of meat markets and butcher shops. “I should have had mutton yesterday itself,” said Are Ramesh of Teachers Colony.
The butcher community and middlemen in the poultry and meat businesses also suffered losses by remaining out of business for a single day. According to sources, about 500 goats are butchered in Adilabad town alone on Sundays which means loss of a turnover of at ₹25 lakh given the high price of goat meat at ₹560 a kg.
Though chicken is not being preferred by meat lovers owing to COVID-19 rumours associated with it, poultry is still preferred in poor and backward areas thanks to its cheaper price, not exceeding ₹100 per kg. “I had stacked chicken for Sunday market but the curfew forced me to keep my shop shut,” said Abdul Majid, a butcher in Merameri of Kumram Bheem Asifabad district.
Clandestine operations
Some non-vegetarians were lucky to lay their hands on meat as a few goats were slaughtered clandestinely in homes of butchers, said sources.
Vegetarians like local businessman Mukesh Agarwal took solace in the fact that the curfew had added one more day to the life of the poor meat animals.
.jpg?w=600)
