Team Herald
PANJIM: The United Goans Foundation (UGF), a registered society from Margao, has urged the Public Undertakings Committee (PUC) to investigate the export of 28.5 tonnes of frozen beef to Iraq through a partnership between the government-run Goa Meat Complex and Karnataka-based Sunface Agrofoods Pvt Ltd.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
In a letter to the PUC, UGF executive committee member Dominic Noronha stated that the export of meat raises serious questions about whether the Goa Meat Complex is fulfilling its primary objective of catering to the local population or if it has been repurposed to serve private export interests. He pointed out that there are multiple concerns that require the PUC’s attention.
According to Noronha, the beef export had impacted local availability, with many consumers and traders reporting significant shortages of meat, particularly during the festive season. If the State’s only authorised meat-processing facility is prioritising exports, it is crucial to assess whether this is causing an artificial scarcity in Goa.
Noronha also raised doubts about the claim that the Goa Meat Complex earns only Rs 500 per animal slaughtered, given the scale of operations and export revenues. He called for an audit of financial transactions related to these exports to determine whether public resources are being misused for private gain.
The UGF has urged the PUC to examine whether the Goa Meat Complex is being misused for international trade at the expense of Goan consumers. Noronha highlighted that this issue affects not only ordinary people but also the State’s tourism and hospitality industry, which relies on a stable meat supply.
