MAPUSA
For the second consecutive day, beef shops across Goa remained closed due to a lack of stock, leaving consumers without supplies during the festive Christmas season.
Traders, however, have assured that shops will reopen on Wednesday, Christmas Day, as fresh stock is expected to arrive from the Goa Meat Complex (GMC).
Vice President of the Quereshi Meat Traders Association of Goa, Shabbir Belpari confirmed that all beef shops in North and South Goa were closed on Tuesday due to unavailability of stock.
He announced that GMC, a government-run facility, has received animals for slaughter and will distribute the supply to traders in time for Christmas.
“The Goa Meat Complex will provide beef stock on December 25. All our shops will be open on Christmas Day, ensuring supply to consumers,” Belpari said.
While the immediate issue in Goa has been resolved, Belpari highlighted challenges faced in neighbouring Karnataka, where vigilante groups have reportedly disrupted the supply chain.
Traders from Goa, who had ordered stock from Karnataka, could not receive the shipments due to blockades by these groups in areas such as Ramnagar and Kanapur.
“The vigilante groups in Karnataka have caused problems for beef traders, preventing them from fulfilling orders. This impacted our supply as we were unable to receive stock from our usual suppliers,” Belpari explained.
Despite these hurdles, Belpari assured consumers that the situation in Goa has stabilized and that beef will be available in shops starting Wednesday.
