Meat prices soar due to short supply

HYDERABAD: Meat prices in the city have skyrocketed ahead of the Dasara festival due to high demand and inadequate supply. Butchers in the city have made the most of the high demand by exorbitantly raising meat prices. Meat prices have risen from Rs 100 to Rs 150 per kg, putting pressure on consumers’ wallets.

During the Dasara festival, the general public, vehicle owners, and traders have begun purchasing sheep for the sacrificial ritual. According to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) officials, the city has relied heavily on imports of sheep and goats from the states of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Surprisingly, despite the lack of an official ban, a GHMC official stated that neighbouring states were not importing the meat into Telangana.

Meat from approximately 600 sheep and goats met demand until Friday, and since Saturday, demand has skyrocketed. Until the festivities are over, the meat shop owners will be unable to meet current demand.

Further, the GHMC officials informed that the meat consumption in the city has increased enormously on Sunday with the start of Dasara festivities. Consumers who stepped out in huge numbers in the early morning to purchase sheep and goat meat have returned with disappointment, as most of it was sold out by 11 am. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, meat consumption was 10 metric tonnes on weekdays and 12 metric tonnes to 15 metric tonnes on weekends, according to civic authorities.

Officials claimed that even though 3,000 sheep and goats were slaughtered on Sunday, it was insufficient to meet the demand. On Wednesday, he said, about 5,000 sheep and goats would be slaughtered.