After ata and other eatables, shortage of beef in the city is likely to take place if strict check on smuggling of cattle from across the border continue to remain in place, beef exporter said on Tuesday.
Ejaz Ahmed Qureshi, a beef merchant, told Business Recorder that there was shortage of animals in the market and the existing stock was depleting as more than 50,000 animals were being slaughtered in big cities and towns each day. He said that the main source of cattle stock building in Pakistan is through smuggling from across the border.
He said that according to rough estimate, goats and cattle were being smuggled through the porous border of Rajasthan in Sindh and Punjab where the border security staff was posted.
He said that recently strict measures had been taken to curb all kinds of smuggling. "It is mainly shortage of food items in Pakistan that smuggling of local products takes place in exchange of cattle and goat," he said. He said that strict check had already stopped movement of animals.
He said to his knowledge, more than 50,000 goats and cattle were being smuggled. For the last one week, there is limited slaughtering of animals and meat markets begin to give deserted look before noon.
Shops at the Liaquatabd Super Market, which is one of the biggest beef and mutton market in the city, was short of supplies and people were seen paying the arbitrarily fixed prices. Beef, boneless, was being sold at 190-200 per kilogram, with bone at Rs 160-180, brain (buffalo) Rs 120, liver Rs 80 per kilogram and legs Rs 250 per piece.
The shop owners said that they were short of supplies as less number of animals were being slaughtered. They said that there was shortage of slaughter animals as smuggling had stopped and local production was less than the requirement.
They said that continued shortage of animals would send prices skyrocketing. "Once the prices of beef and mutton go up, it would affect prices of poultry products as well," he said.
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