Team Herald
PANJIM/MARGAO: Following a controversial notification by the Central Government of the ban on sale and trade of cattle for slaughter, Goa’s meat traders fear a shortage of beef in the State in coming days, even as the demand has increased as Muslims are observing the month of Ramadan.
According to reports, trucks carrying cattle have been sent back from the Karnataka village of Ramnagar on the National Highway 4A.
Anwar Bepari, President of the Qureshi Meat Traders Association, said that most of the cattle slaughtered in Goa comes from cattle fairs in Karnataka. “Due to the Central Government notification there is no cattle coming in. We buy most of the cattle from neighbouring Belgaum but the officials at the borders are turning the trucks back,” he said.
“Right now the situation is that there is no stock at the Goa Meat Complex. The stock can last maximum for two days,” he said. According to information, Goa consumes anywhere between 30 to 50 tonnes of beef every day.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who also holds the Animal Husbandry portfolio, told Herald, that there is no cause for any worry and apprehension. “There is absolutely no problem of availability. Goa has not passed any order or imposed any ban,” Parrikar said.
Meat traders, however plan to meet him anyway and inform him of the impending shortage, due to Karnataka turning back the cattle trucks coming from there to Goa, at the check post “We will meet the Chief Minister and try to explain,” he said. “The restriction is in Karnataka. The RTO check post at Ramnagar is not allowing the vehicles,” he said. “Tourism and the hotel industry will also be affected by this beef shortage,” Bepari said.
A senior official, when contacted, said that the government is seized of the situation and a solution will be reached soon with regards to the supply of meat.
Meanwhile, beef wholesaler from Margao, Shamshuddin Bepari said, “We had no problems of transportation before the beef ban issue. We bring livestock with all legal papers but now the Karnataka police have been stopping the transport of live stock at Ramnagar.” He importantly asked, “Why is legal live stock with papers being stopped?”
Traders said that even after getting the cattle from another State with all legal papers, they have to get the cattle certified as fit for slaughter by veterinary doctors in Goa.
The Margao traders said that whatever little meat comes to the State is exhausted by afternoon and there is nothing left for the evening. Since it is the month of Ramadan there is a lot of demand for beef and people have to go back empty handed. Traders have demanded that the problems related to this at Ramnagar be solved.
Hence, though the source of the problem is clearly the neighbouring state of Karnataka, meat traders in Goa are beginning to worry.
