Shops shut as beef shortage in Goa enters day 10

Panaji: Goa’s ongoing beef shortage entered its tenth day on Monday, with meat shops in Panaji, Margao, and Mapusa remaining shut. Beef traders held a meeting to discuss their next course of action as supply disruptions continued to affect consumers and retailers alike.

They also submitted a memorandum to the CM’s office on Monday.“We request govt to engage in dialogue with the authorities in Maharashtra and Karnataka to seek a resolution, explore alternative supply channels, or establish state-supported mechanisms to mitigate the current shortfall,” said the memorandum handed by Quraishi meat traders association president Manna Bepari.We also urge govt to cap the exports of buffalo meat in order to mitigate the effects of the shortfall, depute a law enforcement team at each of the border crossings, and set up helpline numbers for speedy and efficient action.

This is to ensure that no fringe elements illegally create hurdles in the legal trade of cattle for slaughter for human consumption,” stated the memorandum handed by Quraishi meat traders association president Manna Bepari.The general secretary of the association, Anwar Bepari, said, “Some traders have been managing to source the meat in small quantities from neighbouring states, but most of the meat is sold out within hours.

However, from Monday onwards, there is no beef coming into Goa”.Last week, the state’s only abattoir at Usgao, Goa meat complex, sourced 70 tons of beef from Aurangabad and supplied it across the state. Most of this was exhausted, sources said. “Currently, there is availability of cold meat in the state for local consumption. However, people in Goa prefer fresh beef instead of frozen boneless beef,” an official said.

He further said that supply is likely to resume as soon as the meat traders’ strike in neighbouring states ends.TOI reported last week that the daily beef supply dropped to just 2 to 5 tons—an 85% decline from the usual 20 tons per day. The shortage was attributed to an ongoing strike by meat traders in Maharashtra and Karnataka. Since the meat supply to Goa comes from Belagavi, Karnataka, meat availability in Goa has been hit.