Cattle Population in India: Do Institutions Matter?

Abstract

We use Indian livestock census data to show that states with more stringent slaughter laws perform better in terms of cattle population growth than states where slaughter acts are more enabling. We also show that the growth in cattle population is caused by an increase in female crossbred cattle and more so in the states where slaughter rules are very restrictive. Despite a complete ban on cow slaughter in some states, they do not show any balance between male and female cows. These results are non-intuitive and have strong political and policy implications but require further investigation.