Panaji: Beef prices across Goa rose sharply, as boned beef retailed at Rs 400 per kg, while boneless beef climbed to Rs 500 per kg. Last month, it was being sold for Rs 350 and Rs 400 respectively.Traders say the rise is due to large-scale exports of Indian beef to foreign markets, which has made it very difficult for local businesses to procure animals at competitive rates.
“Exporters are purchasing animals at very high prices for overseas markets. We cannot compete with that,” said Quraishi Meat Traders Association general secretary Anwar Bepari.“Before the animals even reach the open market, exporters buy them directly. There are no animals left for us to purchase and continue our business.”Exports from state govt’s facility at Goa Meat Complex, Usgao, have also surged.In the current fiscal year, 2025-26, it has so far slaughtered 11,372 animals from April to Dec 2025, while 7,722 animals were slaughtered in the fiscal year of 2024-25.The Usgao facility supplies buffalo meat as per orders placed by the local meat traders on a daily basis.The total requirement of beef per day in the state is approximately 20-25 tonnes, depending on the season.“There is demand in the market and, to fulfil this demand, we have the capacity to slaughter 200 animals a day at the abattoir, yet we are not getting enough orders from the local traders. We cannot slaughter any animals without orders, as we follow a process here,” Goa Meat Complex managing director Rajesh Kenny said.The situation is causing concern ahead of Ramadan, a period when demand for meat traditionally rises.Traders said that shortages could intensify during the festive season.“Govt should intervene and resolve this matter, as we mainly depend on the meat trade for our livelihood,” a beef vendor from the Panaji market said.Consumers, meanwhile, are bearing the brunt of the price surge.“With Lent approaching, some of us may not be affected by rising rates of beef yet, however, if this inflation continues, it will become very difficult in the long-run since beef is considered to be the more affordable meat option compared to mutton and fish,” said a Chimbel resident Peter Fernandes.
