Slaughterhouses shut, traders strike in UP: Meat supply in Delhi halved

Delhi: Rampant closing down of slaughterhouses and a strike by traders in Uttar Pradesh have cut the supply of meat in Delhi by half and sent prices skyrocketing in many parts of the national capital.

The city's only slaughterhouse in Ghazipur has not been receiving the required amount of cattle from the neighboring state and as a result, buffalo and goat meat are costing at least 25 percent more.

“Around 6,000 goats and 900 buffaloes were sold every day but in the last three days, not more than 2,500 goats and 400 buffaloes have been sold,” a trader told HT at Ghazipur, which borders Uttar Pradesh.

Ghazipur gets the bulk of buffalo supply from UP, which is the country’s biggest meat producer.

Prices of buffalo meat have shot up from Rs 120 to Rs 175 while the price of mutton has gone from around Rs 380 to nearly Rs 500 in some places.

The traders in UP started an indefinite strike after newly-elected UP CM Yogi Adityanath ordered the closing of all illegal slaughterhouses and butcher shops in UP.

However, the impact may not be apparent instantly as Navratras begin and the demand for meat is expected to drop during the nine-day period.

According to an estimate, Delhi consumes around 40,000 kg of buffalo meat and 80,000 kg of mutton a day.

“Following the reports of closure of abattoirs, traders are not ready to send stock. They are scared of attacks on vehicles ferrying animals,” Asim Faraz, a commission agent in Ghazipur, told HT.