India’s meat exports stood at Rs 22,074 cr in April-January of FY'17

The Dollar Business Bureau 

India exported around nearly 11 lakh tonnes of meat for Rs 22,074 crore in the period between April and January in the financial year of 2017, informed Minister of Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

As per the data, India’s meat exports stood at Rs 27,610 crore in the financial year of 2015-16 followed by Rs 30,201 crore and Rs 27,720 crore of exports in 2014-15 and in 2013-14 respectively.

At present, India has as many as 81 companies involved in meat processing and its exports. These organisations need to be registered with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) as per the current foreign trade policy. An inter-ministerial committee is carrying out the inspection of these establishments taking into account factors such as hygiene and sanitary standard, ante-mortem and post mortem inspections, infrastructure, laboratories facilities and record maintenance.

The members of the committee include representatives from animal husbandry departments of the central and state governments, Export Inspection Council of India, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), reputed veterinary scientists and food safety experts.

The Commerce Ministry is entrusted with the task of helping exporters with issues related to trade along with extending its support to the animal husbandry departments at the Centre and State level for overcoming export related problems.

It should be recalled that in the third week of March after being sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath had ordered the closure of several illegal abattoirs and mechanised slaughterhouses in the State. Nearly 50% of India’s total meat exports are from that State alone. According to a reputed meat exporter, buffalo meat exports may drop to less than half the current numbers if a long-standing ban is put into place. If that happens, the future of India’s frozen meat export figures which stands at $4 billion, commanding 17.9% of the frozen meat market might take a dip and its competitor countries, Brazil with $4 billion exports commanding nearly 17.7% of the world frozen meat market and US and Australia commanding 11.2% and 20.1% might take over India’s lost territories.