Team Herald
PANJIM: With the supplies of beef dwindling in Goa as the Karnataka suppliers are unable to send across any consignments, due to lack of certification, the heat is being felt in the State, with just days to go to Christmas.
The beef market in the State is set to be hit very badly as the last supply was last week on Friday and since Saturday there has been no supply of beef from Karnataka. Goa imports 90 per cent of its meat products from Karnataka.
“We are not getting supplies since Saturday and we are out of stock as the suppliers are not getting certificates to do so. We have requested the State government through a memorandum that they should talk to their counterparts in the Karnataka government. Our memorandum has also been sent to the Prime Minister’s Office. Also, Father Savio Fernandes from Panjim has submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday,” Quraishi’s Meat Traders’ Association (QMTA) of Goa president Manna Bepari told Herald.
Asked what will happen to the shops selling beef across Goa, Bepari said, “If there is no supply what will you sell? It is important to take actions not only to restore supplies but also to save the livelihood of many in this trade.”
The representation submitted by the QMTA to Sawant states, “State of Goa not being agricultural State of a scale as its neighbouring counterparts like Maharashtra and Karnataka, since decades has been turning to these two States for meeting the needs of consuming beef.”
The memorandum by QMTA further added that Goa is one of the highest beef consuming States in India and being a tourist State with lots of foreigners holidaying, beef supplies to the State are essential.
