KARACHI, May 3: The city is likely to face an acute shortage of beef as livestock traders have threatened to suspended transport of big animals into the city for an indefinite period from Sunday if their demands remain unmet by the city government.

Speaking at a press briefing at the Karachi Press Club, Baloch Khan Lashari, president of the Livestock Traders’ Welfare Association (LTWA), said that traders were suffering huge losses on account of what they termed as illegal collection of license fee from all types of animals and the administration of “unbranded, low-quality vaccine” to animals that had caused death in many instances.

“We have been raising these issues for many months with the city government, but all our protests have been ignored. Now we are forced to suspend transport of big animals for slaughtering purposes for an indefinite period,” said the LTWA president, adding that thousands of cattle traders and butchers would be hit by the temporary closure of business, besides affecting the needs of consumers.

Expressing reservations over the collection of various licence fees at the city’s entry points and the continuation of the CDGK’s controversial animal vaccination drive, he called for the withdrawal of what he described as illegal check posts and the collection of requisite fees for keeping animals at dairy farms.

“The city government charges Rs150 as a licence fee for keeping all sorts of animals whether milch or those brought in for slaughter purposes at the city’s entry points. This is a blatant violation of a notification issued under the Sindh Government Local Ordinance in 2000 under which the fee is meant to be received only for milch animals and that too at dairy farms.”

He also criticised the city government for not paying heed to cattle traders’ concerns over the controversial vaccination being carried out for animals while on their way to the city.“There is no justification of carrying out vaccination of animals meant for slaughter because they are sold as soon as they reach city markets, while immunity against any disease develops in 15 to 21 days. The city government’s hired contractors are minting millions of rupees through the drive as almost 80 per cent of animals are being brought to Karachi daily for slaughtering,” said Lashari.

He also said that about 7,000 animals were daily transported to Karachi and the city government charged Rs50 per animal in the name of vaccination.

“All livestock traders vaccinate their animals under the provincial government’s department for animal husbandry. Besides, the city government’s staff also examine the animal before slaughter and collects fees for that purpose,” he said, adding that the city government was also hiding the details about the vaccine being administered to the cattle, which was beyond comprehension.

“Former EDO Agriculture Dr Mohan Lal had abolished the drive of vaccination, but the present EDO Ali Zafar Zaidi restored it and awarded the contract to one Abdul Khalid,” he complained.