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The ban on transportation and sale of beef in Maharashtra and Haryana is threatening to push mutton and buffalo meat prices in these two states and has left exporters in Kolkata worried.
Beef exports from West Bengal have dropped 10-15 per cent in the past month. Among the few states that allow slaughter of cows, buffaloes, bulls and bullocks, West Bengal caters to the demand from Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. It exports 200,000-300,000 tonnes of beef every month to these countries.
“Our export orders have shrunk as buyers think we will not be able to meet our commitment in time because of the ban. That apart, many exporters feel we will send buffalo meet instead of beef,” Akash Arora, managing director of Alvira Enterprise, a city-based exporter, told Business Standard.
Within the country, Kolkata caters to beef demand from Delhi, Mumbai and Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh, where slaughter of cows, bulls and bullocks is banned.
In February, long before the ban was officially imposed, Kolkata’s beef sales to Mumbai had gone up by nearly seven per cent, while that to other cities had risen two-three per cent, traders said. West Bengal’s own daily beef consumption is close to 150,000 kg.
In Delhi and adjoining areas, mutton prices are seen touching Rs 700 a kg by June from Rs 550-600 a kg at present, as supplies dry up. The price of buffalo meat, considered a cheap but readily available alternative to beef, has also moved up in the past few weeks.
The rates of buffalo meat have risen around Rs 20-30 a kg in the past few days in Maharashtra. It was selling at around Rs 180-190 a kg in Mumbai and others parts of the state.
SELECTIVE PROHIBITIONBeef exports from West Bengal have dropped 10-15 per cent in the past month. Among the few states that allow slaughter of cows, buffaloes, bulls and bullocks, West Bengal caters to the demand from Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. It exports 200,000-300,000 tonnes of beef every month to these countries.
“Our export orders have shrunk as buyers think we will not be able to meet our commitment in time because of the ban. That apart, many exporters feel we will send buffalo meet instead of beef,” Akash Arora, managing director of Alvira Enterprise, a city-based exporter, told Business Standard.
Within the country, Kolkata caters to beef demand from Delhi, Mumbai and Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh, where slaughter of cows, bulls and bullocks is banned.
In February, long before the ban was officially imposed, Kolkata’s beef sales to Mumbai had gone up by nearly seven per cent, while that to other cities had risen two-three per cent, traders said. West Bengal’s own daily beef consumption is close to 150,000 kg.
In Delhi and adjoining areas, mutton prices are seen touching Rs 700 a kg by June from Rs 550-600 a kg at present, as supplies dry up. The price of buffalo meat, considered a cheap but readily available alternative to beef, has also moved up in the past few weeks.
The rates of buffalo meat have risen around Rs 20-30 a kg in the past few days in Maharashtra. It was selling at around Rs 180-190 a kg in Mumbai and others parts of the state.
Point your cursor on states to know their specific rules and regulations on cow and buffalo slaughter
In Haryana, another state that has banned slaughter of cows and sale of beef of all kinds since Monday, the price of buffalo meat has risen around Rs 20-30 a kg; this meat variety was selling at around Rs 140-150 a kg.
In Uttar Pradesh, though, there has been little impact on buffalo meat prices, given adequate supplies. Slaughter of cows is banned in the state.
“In Haryana and Maharashtra, buffalo meat prices have moved up as demand has shifted. But that is not the case in Uttar Pradesh as supplies here are adequate,” said Liyaqat Ali, a leading Meerut-based supplier.
Haji Tanveer, who supplies cattle to slaughter houses in Saharanpur and adjoining districts, said the retail prices of buffalo meat had been hovering around Rs 150-155 a kg in western UP, without much change.
“In Uttar Pradesh, buffalo meat prices are still within control as the state has a large cattle population. But if supplies of other beef varieties dry up in neighbouring states, the impact will be felt in UP as well,” said Liyaqat Ali. He added buffalo meat prices might show a stabilising trend only around June, when supplies improve after farmers sell their livestock.
Uttar Pradesh is India’s largest exporter of buffalo meat. Of the total Indian beef exports, 67 per cent originates from this state.
Compared with 2007-08, the estimated number of buffaloes slaughtered in UP rose almost 161 per cent to 32.42 million in 2011-12. The state is home to almost 25 per cent of India’s total buffalo population.
India competes with Australia for the Philippines market, and with Malaysia and Brazil for Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Algeria markets. Buffalo meat exports have grown at 15 per cent a year in the last decade and are pegged to be worth $3.2 billion in 2012-13.
In Uttar Pradesh, though, there has been little impact on buffalo meat prices, given adequate supplies. Slaughter of cows is banned in the state.
“In Haryana and Maharashtra, buffalo meat prices have moved up as demand has shifted. But that is not the case in Uttar Pradesh as supplies here are adequate,” said Liyaqat Ali, a leading Meerut-based supplier.
Haji Tanveer, who supplies cattle to slaughter houses in Saharanpur and adjoining districts, said the retail prices of buffalo meat had been hovering around Rs 150-155 a kg in western UP, without much change.
“In Uttar Pradesh, buffalo meat prices are still within control as the state has a large cattle population. But if supplies of other beef varieties dry up in neighbouring states, the impact will be felt in UP as well,” said Liyaqat Ali. He added buffalo meat prices might show a stabilising trend only around June, when supplies improve after farmers sell their livestock.
Uttar Pradesh is India’s largest exporter of buffalo meat. Of the total Indian beef exports, 67 per cent originates from this state.
Compared with 2007-08, the estimated number of buffaloes slaughtered in UP rose almost 161 per cent to 32.42 million in 2011-12. The state is home to almost 25 per cent of India’s total buffalo population.
India competes with Australia for the Philippines market, and with Malaysia and Brazil for Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Algeria markets. Buffalo meat exports have grown at 15 per cent a year in the last decade and are pegged to be worth $3.2 billion in 2012-13.
