Gujarat's Anand University Rolls Back Its First Goat Sale After Bakr-i-Eid Poster Storm

Ahmedabad: The Anand Agricultural University in central Gujarat has reacquired 10 goats it had sold since Friday after objection by animal rights activists. The College of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry had put up posters saying pedigree goats were on sale from August 3 to 21 on the occasion of Bakr-i-Eid, giving the impression that the goats were being sold for slaughter.

Animal rights activists protested against the sale and approached the Anand Agricultural University to take down the banner that had been put up at the livestock breeding centre. The banners were taken off on Wednesday and the college admitted that it was a mistake on the part of the department to have announced the sale on the occasion of Bakr-i-Eid.

“It was an inadvertent mistake on the part of the department and has been rectified as soon as it was brought to my notice. All the 10 goats that were sold have been reclaimed by the agricultural university and I have initiated departmental action as well. Henceforth, we will send livestock of goats and sheep to panjrapoles,” Anand Agricultural University Vice Chancellor NC Patel told News18.

This was the first attempt by the University to sell livestock. Around three months ago, at a meeting of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, it was decided that goats reared at livestock farm complexes in agricultural universities could be sold to farmers for rearing and breed development. This would also generate revenue for the agricultural universities.

A report sent to the district collector and the Anand municipality states that selling of goats was to be done only to farmers for rearing and breeding purposes and not for slaughter. The board put up by the veterinary and animal husbandry department was wrong, the university has admitted in its report.

A letter written by the Department of Livestock Production Management of the AAU to Bhavesh Shah, the Animal Welfare Officer stated, “In continuation of the above cited subject, we have stopped selling of live animals and in coming future, the objective of selling live animals in Experimental Learning Unit project, as have been decided by ICAR, Government of India, will be represented for modification by ICAR, GOI. The students of the college will rear the animals only for their learning and afterwards live animals will be disposed as per government guidelines. This is gentle assurance from Department of Livestock Production Management, Veterinary College, AAU, Anand.”