PANAJI
With Eid-e-Milad approaching and the State’s tourism calendar also picking up within a month, Goa continues to grapple with an acute shortage of beef despite importing a small quantity from Telangana.
The shortage, owing to a strike by traders in Maharashtra and Karnataka, has raised concerns among the meat traders who claim that hoteliers, bakeries and local consumers alike are being affected.
“The festival of Eid on September 4 and the start of the tourist season will be hampered. We have many local consumers for beef, plus hotels and bakeries need it on a daily basis. Foreign tourists demand it more, and this shortage is bound to hurt everyone,” General Secretary of the Quraishi Meat Traders Association Anwar Bepari told The Goan.
Supplies from Maharashtra and Karnataka have been disrupted for nearly a month as traders there are protesting against alleged harassment by self-styled vigilante groups. The outstation traders have claimed they are frequently attacked while transporting cattle, which has ultimately forced them to suspend operations.
Bepari stated that while private traders from Telangana have been ensuring supply to Goa, the 5-tonne daily quantum is still not sufficient.
Several meat traders have reported the same scenario. “On average, Goa needs 20-25 tonnes a day, including supplies to hotels and cold storage. It goes up on special days, but we are only able to get about 5 tonnes presently. We are procuring beef from Telangana and other States at higher prices. The losses are mounting, but we have not passed on the hike to consumers so far,” another trader revealed to The Goan, asking the government to provide immediate relief.
The traders have already submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, appealing to intervene and restore supply lines. The demand also includes that, if necessary, State-backed mechanisms to ensure availability be set up.
