-The Hindu Managers of around 3,000 privately-run markets are to meet and protest new rules that ban sale of animals for slaughter at cattle markets Fridays are festive days at Pachokhara. For nearly half-a-century now, farmers, cattle-rearers and tradesmen have made the weekly trip to the cricket stadium-sized grounds of the Upadhyay family— prominent local land-owners — to trade cattle. A dirt road splits the ground into a section for buffaloes and another for...

-Firstpost.com The battle for the rural heartland has commenced in full earnest.  Even though the two main opposition parties are not officially behind the strike called by farmers, their support and muscle is in full evidence. Surprisingly, the Shiv Sena – an alliance partner of the present government -- has also supported the agitation. Yesterday, milk and vegetables had to be brought into some of Maharashtra’s cities under police escort.  The shrill...

-IANS The environment ministry, on May 26, modified the rules to prevent cruelty to animals, making it mandatory to ensure that cattle are not bought or sold for slaughtering. The Centre is understood to be having a rethink on its order restricting the sale of animals, including cows and buffaloes, for slaughter following the stiff opposition from some states, including Kerala. The government is likely to exempt buffaloes from the ‘no slaughter’ list,...

-Scroll.in The definition of cattle under the new rules include bulls, buffaloes and even camels. The Ministry of Environment and Forests on Thursday notified new rules under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, which bans sale of cattle for slaughter in open markets across the country. Farmers’ unions see the new rules as an assault on agriculture. They said that in a time of distress, sale of cattle was one of...

-Hindustan Times Sultan and Yuvraj are the centre of attraction at Kota’s agriculture fair because their semen fetches their owners more than Rs 150,000 per ejaculation. Kota: Yuvraj is no ordinary bull. Its seed fetches its owner Rs 150,000 for one ejaculation. The 9-year-old bull of Murrah breed drinks 20 litres of milk every day to stay fit and healthy. He has so far fathered more than 200,000 calves, his owner says. Like...