The Hindu Business Line : Buffalo meat exports may touch 4 lakh tonnes

THE country's meat exports could touch four lakh tonnes this year in the light of the thrust provided by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority to cash in on its USP of frozen buffalo meat.

"Our meat industry is on a roll. We have been witnessing 10-20 per cent growth every year in frozen buffalo meat. This year, we could export four lakh tonnes against 3.2 lakh tonnes last year," Mr A.D. Dinshaw, Chief General Manager, Al Kabeer Exports Ltd, told Business Line. Al Kabeer is one of the leading meat exporters in the country.

During 2002, exports were to the tune of three lakh tonnes. The value of exports in 2003 has been pegged at around Rs 1,700 crore.

While buffalo meat is competitive in the global market, it also enjoys other advantages, according to Mr Dinshaw.

Currently, Indian buffalo meat is quoted at an average $1,000 a tonne against $1,200 a tonne for the meat from countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina and France.

"The advantages of our buffalo meat are that they have low fat content and the animals are grazed naturally," Mr Dinshaw said. "The fat content is as low as two per cent and, therefore, our meat is low on cholesterol."

As regards natural grazing, the animals in other countries are stall-fed and are even "given horomones". Besides, these are also given animal or bone meal, derived from left-overs of animals.

"On the other hand, our meat is free from radiation and contamination as the fodder we feed the cattle is free of these," Mr Dinshaw said.

Stating that the outbreak of the mad cow disease in the US was unlikely to lead in any gain for the meat industry, he said no exports were being made to the major buyers of US beef. "We don't export meat to Japan, South Korea, Canada or Indonesia," he said.

Buffalo meat is exported to 55 countries. "Traditionally, our exports are to South-East and West Asia. We also ship to East European nations such as Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia and Armenia," Mr Dinshaw said.

"In South-East Asia, the Philippines and Malaysia import our meat, while countries in the West African coastline are also our buyers," he said.

All meat-processing plants in the country were registered and had got HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) certification and ISO accreditation, he said.

Recently, trade delegations from Georgia and the Philippines had come to the country to update themselves on the industry, while a delegation from Malaysia was expected towards the month-end, Mr Dinshaw added.

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