Indian mutton in short supply in UAE
A Severe shortage of Indian mutton has hit hard consumers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
By Agencies |
DUBAI: A Severe shortage of Indian mutton has hit hard consumers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The shortage is the result of a ban on exports of mutton imposed by New Delhi in August.
“The ban came into affect from August 21 and was issued following advice from the World Organisation for Animal Health, which indicated that Indian meat should not be exported as a precaution apparently against foot-and-mouth disease,” a local newspaper quoted sources in the Indian embassy in the UAE as saying.
The UAE imports around 20 tonnes or $80,000 worth of Indian meat daily. According to the newspaper, butchers in this Gulf nation are being flooded with calls from Indian expatriates asking for Indian mutton.
Indian expatriates prefer Indian mutton and do not go for Australian or European mutton because of the smell — and hence the crisis. They feel that Australian sheep are very fatty and the meat is not as tender.“We have to compromise,” a manager at a butcher’s shop in Sharjah told the newspaper, adding that he was now selling mutton from local sheep instead.
If not Indian, expatriates also buy Ethiopian or Somali mutton. But that too is now in shortage. “This is the last plate of Somali mutton chops,” an employee at a butcher’s shop in Dubai said.
While Indian mutton sold at 19.5 dirhams per kg before the shortage, Australian mutton sells for 35 dirhams a kg and Somali mutton 23 dirhams per kg. According to the newspaper, a meeting to resolve the issue is being convened by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority on September 5.
“The ban came into affect from August 21 and was issued following advice from the World Organisation for Animal Health, which indicated that Indian meat should not be exported as a precaution apparently against foot-and-mouth disease,” a local newspaper quoted sources in the Indian embassy in the UAE as saying.
The UAE imports around 20 tonnes or $80,000 worth of Indian meat daily. According to the newspaper, butchers in this Gulf nation are being flooded with calls from Indian expatriates asking for Indian mutton.
Indian expatriates prefer Indian mutton and do not go for Australian or European mutton because of the smell — and hence the crisis. They feel that Australian sheep are very fatty and the meat is not as tender.“We have to compromise,” a manager at a butcher’s shop in Sharjah told the newspaper, adding that he was now selling mutton from local sheep instead.
If not Indian, expatriates also buy Ethiopian or Somali mutton. But that too is now in shortage. “This is the last plate of Somali mutton chops,” an employee at a butcher’s shop in Dubai said.
While Indian mutton sold at 19.5 dirhams per kg before the shortage, Australian mutton sells for 35 dirhams a kg and Somali mutton 23 dirhams per kg. According to the newspaper, a meeting to resolve the issue is being convened by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority on September 5.
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