Help sheep farmers get better prices, corporation told

N. Dharam Singh, former MP, inaugurated the office of the Assistant Director of the Karnataka Sheep and Wool Development Corporation here on Sunday.

He said the corporation should not just concentrate on increasing productivity in the animal, but also help sheep farmers get better prices.

Panditrao Chidri, Chairman of the corporation, was present.

Menace of middlemen

Talking to presspersons on Saturday, Mr. Chidri said sheep and goat rearers were suffering in the hands of middlemen who operate meat markets. “Farmers spend years tending to the animals and care for them by spending several thousand rupees. But the traders buy them at low rates and sell them for high prices. Animals rearers are not getting remunerative prices for their animals,” he said.

Mr. Chidri said he would discuss with the Chief Minister the issue of streamlining meat markets and ensuring transparency in sheep and goat trading. “To start with, we can put up computerised weighing scales and enforce the rule that live animals should be sold on their weight and not head count,” he said.

Welfare schemes

Mr. Chidri said the corporation would introduce welfare programmes for sheep rearers including animal insurance, and health care.

‘Traders buying animals at low rates and selling them for high prices’

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/help-sheep-farmers-get-better-prices-corporation-told/article6671453.ece