Pollachi, one of the major cattle markets in Tamil Nadu and also South India is losing Rs.five crore per week due to the ban imposed on the sale of cattle for slaughter house.

The market on Tuesdays and Thursdays attracts over 3,500 cattle per day and buyers and sellers from not only from the State but also from Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka are participating.

To the shock of buyers around 50 cattle were brought to the market yesterday, due to the ban, a cattle buyer from the city area who in turn sell them to Kerala, a major buying market, said.

Tamil Nadu has 125 cattle shandies, doing a business of Rs.100 crore per month–Rs.25 crore per week–he said adding that Pollachi alone is doing a business of Rs.five crore per week.

The notification has a cascading effect, lorry owners and drivers to transport the cattle to far away places, merchants, contractors, workers and farmers and hay sellers, numbering nearly one crore, will remain jobless, the traders said.

In view of the livelihood of lakhs of people depending on sales of cattle, the Government should consider to withdraw its notification, they said.

The traders are waiting with bated breathe for tomorrow, as many organisations and political parties have started agitation against the ban, the traders said.