Meat, fish dealers blame NGT ban for decline in trade

SHILLONG: With the festive season set to start shortly, the consumers will have a difficult time as they have to limit their daily needs at a time when the prices of meat and fish are on the rise.
In chicken, pork and fish markets, traders have attributed the low business to the ban on coal mining by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) since 2014.
Mitchel Wankhar, president of Khasi Jaintia Fish Wholesaler and Retailer Association, assigns blame to the NGT ban and said that the market has gone down because the commodity is sold at the purchase rate; most of the fish sold in the market are from Andhra Pradesh and some from Assam.
He added that it is the sale that has gone down due to the decrease in demand from 10 metric tonne per day to 7 metric ton per day in the recent years while the rate remains the same.
Alfred Kharkrang, a poultry dealer, also blames the ban for the decrease in quantity of the chicken sold in the market by stating that prior to the ban, an individual seller could market over 2 metric tonnes of chicken in just one week which is not the case anymore. However, the price of mutton has gone upto Rs 400 per kg.
Usually, the chicken are distributed to Nongjri, Borsora, Shella, Majai and Sohra but presently the chicken are only being transported to a few places in East Khasi Hills.
The pork market has also witnessed a sharp decline in sale. As stated by Alexander Kharsynniang, general secretary of Pork Dealers and Pig Suppliers Association, “marketing has gone down by 50 percent in the last five years.” He further said that almost 80 percent of the meat is brought from Assam.
Kharsynninag pointed out that till date there has been no financial assistance from the state government except for the Veterinary department that conducts regular training on hygiene and sanitation.