Safety norms hit meat exports to Egypt.

India’s meat exports to Egypt have been hampered by health concerns. A team of officials from Agriculture Produce and Export Development Authority (Apeda) is visiting that country for allaying fears over presence of any disease in export consignments.

There have been reports in the Egyptian media questioning the safety of frozen meat imported from India, reports The Financial Express.

According to an Apeda official, frozen meat exports from India have witnessed a steady growth in the last few years because of stern and prompt measures initiated by the government against spread of diseases in buffalo, sheep and goat. In Egypt, the export market for frozen meat, which was earlier dominated by Brazil, had been replaced by India in the last five years. Vietnam, Malaysia and Egypt are three top export destinations for India’s frozen meat products followed by middle-east countries.

Although in volume terms India had exported just around 5 lakh tonnes of mostly buffalo, sheep and goat meat to 60-odd countries in the last five years, in terms of value it has been significant, more so in the last two years. According to latest data compiled by Apeda, exports of meat and meat products are estimated to cross Rs 6,000 crore in 2009-10. During April-December 2009, India exported meat and meat products worth Rs 5,859 crore.

India, which accounts for nearly 13% of the world’s cattle population, half of buffalo population and 15% of goat population, rears most of the livestock on green pastures and is not stallfed. India has consistently maintained that the meat is risk free and safe. The country exports only deboned and deglanded frozen buffalo meat obtained by compulsory chilling and maturing of carcasses at low temperature. The demand for bovine meat in international market has sparked a sudden increase in the last five years.

Source : fnbnews.com