Prices are likely to rise within a week.
Following the ban on illegal slaughterhouses and the subsequent prevention of transporting cows from states like Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, beef dealers in Kolkata are apprehending the rise in beef prices within a week.
“It is inevitable. If the crisis continues we will have to raise price by at least 20% by next week if we are to sustain business. I have had a day-long meeting with dealers across the city. They are all very apprehensive of this unprecedented situation that we are in. Besides business, which has taken a beating, this unorganised sector employs thousands of people directly and indirectly across the state who would lose employment,” Mohammed Ali, President of Calcutta Beef Dealers' Association told DNA.
He said that the boneless variety of beef (cow meat) is available here for Rs 220 per kg while with bones it is sole for Rs 160-170 per kg. “We appeal to the government to take some steps to solve the problems we are facing, to avoid any price escalation,” he added.
Dealers also said that mechanisation of slaughterhouses had seen a rise in beef prices. “Mechanisation leads to a lot of loss in meat for which price of beef had risen from 120 a kg to 170 a kg in a year. If price rises further, we will definitely lose business,” said Md Akram, a trader from south Kolkata.
Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) sources said that about 98,000 kg of beef is consumed every day in Kolkata. “In Bengal, there is no restriction on storing, serving and consumption of beef and the rule applies with buffalo, bullock and ox as well. However, slaughtering of these animals needs to be done at government slaughterhouses and not in the open,” said a senior official of the health department of KMC.
On an average, a cow yields 160 kg of meat. It was found that besides the 300 cows that are slaughtered at Tangra Slaughterhouse, an equal number is slaughtered illegally at places such as Raja Bazar, Mehendi Bagan, Narkeldanga, Phoolbagan and Alimuddiin Street. So about 96,000 kg of the city’s demand is met this way and beef from various pockets of North 24 Parganas is also brought into the city to supplement demand. “We are already short on supply compared to the demand. The unavailability of cows has been a major impediment in our business,” said Md Ekhlaque, a wholesaler of beef in Kolkata who was present at the meeting on Tuesday.
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