the goan I network
MARGAO
After chicken, mutton has surfaced at some of the stalls in the SGPDA market, though available at a premium, but beef is still unavailable with supply from Belagavi cut off due to the Covid-19 lockdown.
While beef was available in the village countryside at some places, raids conducted by the men-in-uniform in the last couple of days have not only stopped the slaughter of bulls, but the meat is beyond the reach of the common man.
It’s now some days since chicken had surfaced at certain stalls, starting from Easter Sunday. Broilers and eggs are available at both the Royal Foods as well as Ambica in the commercial capital.
Mutton, however, was available openly on Saturday, perhaps the first time since the lockdown came into force on March 25. However, a kilogram cost Rs 750 per kg and in the back market at Rs 1000 per kg. Some of the mutton stalls at the SGPDA market offered mutton for sale after insisting on social distancing.
Beef stalls at the SGPDA and Gandhi markets, besides the cold storages, remain closed for want of the meat.
Meat traders and cold storage owners, however, are keeping their fingers crossed over the resumption of slaughtering of animals and supply of the meat from Belagavi from April 20.
President of the All Goa Cold Storage Owners Association, Vernon Lobo, pointed out that the State’s beef requirement is met by the supplies coming from Belagavi, adding these will not resume unless slaughtering resumes in the neighbouring state.
“We are closely watching the situation since the government has decided to open certain sectors from April 20,” he added.
Incidentally, beef was available in the villages with locals butchers slaughtering bulls or buffaloes. But, with the Goa police tightening the screws on the slaughtering of animals, many fear that beef may totally disappear from the plate.
Sources in the know say after the Margao police on Friday raided and seized meat of a buffalo at Sirvodem-Khareband, police stations in the Margao police division are believed to have sent warnings to the local butchers to stop illegal slaughtering of animals.
