10 facts about beef in India

Here are 10 things about beef in India:
- States where cow slaughter is banned: Maharashtra, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Punjab, Odisha, Puducherry, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Delhi, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh

- Bulls and buffaloes are sold and eaten in most states even where cow slaughter is banned.Karnataka, for example, allows slaughter of bulls and buffaloes above 12 years

- But some states like Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, J&K and Himachal Pradesh have more stringent laws that ban the slaughter of all

- West Bengal permits slaughter of cows, bulls and buffaloes over the age of 14 but requires a 'fit for slaughter' certificate

- Daman & Diu and Goa permit slaughter of those cows which are old or sick, or for medical purposes

- Kerala is believed to be India's most beef-friendly state. There is no state legislation banning cow slaughter & dishes like 'beef fry' and 'beef chilli' are available at roadside stalls too

- States like Kerala, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Arunachal & Nagaland allow slaughter of cattle with no certificate required

- Despite the bans, India is only second to Brazil when it comes to exporting beef, but most of it is buffalo meat. It is also the fifth-largest producer

- India's beef shipments till Oct last year rose to 1.95 million tonnes, 5% more than for the whole of 2013, according to the US department of agriculture

- It is said that over a quarter of India's population of Scheduled Tribes & Scheduled Castes eat beef. Consumption is also prevalent across all sections of society in states where cow slaughter is legal