Beef has become dearer in Kerala after the ferrying of slaughter animals from other states declined significantly due to supply chain bottlenecks triggered by difficulties in securing veterinary certificates, increased procurement of animals by beef exporters, illegal seizures of cattle, and obstructions by extortion groups en route to Kerala.

The price of beef, which had remained between Rs 300 and Rs 350 per kg in Kerala over the last year, has risen to Rs 450-Rs 500 per kg in parts of the state over the last month, primarily driven by supply bottlenecks and Andhra Pradesh’s reluctance in issuing vet certificates. Andhra Pradesh is one of Kerala’s major beef suppliers.

“Cattle from Odisha are also not allowed to move freely via Andhra Pradesh to Kerala,” says one trader. “Supply from Karnataka is negligible after that state introduced stringent norms against inter-state cattle movement.”

The consumption of beef is legal in Kerala, with demand being met by animals sourced from other states, mainly Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. Murrah breed buffalo calves are brought from Haryana. According to the National Family Health Survey 2021 (NFHS-2021), around 96 per cent of the state’s population consumes meat, and Kerala has the highest per capita meat intake among Indian states. State government data, meanwhile, shows that the annual demand for beef, comprising cattle and buffalo meat, is about 2.5 lakh tonnes. Cattle meat alone accounts for about 1.52 lakh tonnes.

Cattle merchants in Kerala procure animals from markets in other states and ferry them to a few weekly cattle market hubs in Kerala, from where local beef traders source animals for their requirements. Every week, according to inter-state traders, Kerala markets used to receive around 400 truckloads of animals from various states. Now, weekly arrivals have come down to about 100 truckloads.

As a result of the supply chain bottleneck, many beef stalls have also remained closed.

According to M A Salim, president of the Kerala Meat Industries Welfare Association, “Health certificates issued by vet doctors are mandatory for ferrying animals. In Andhra Pradesh, not all vet doctors are ready to issue the certificate. If we transport animals without the mandatory certificate, we are facing extortion rackets en route”.

He added: “Sometimes, we have to pay hefty amounts to these gangs, who will even seize the entire load. If such loads are released, traders have to pay a huge fine again, sometimes up to lakhs. Extortion rackets are active in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka as well, even if we manage to bring in truckloads from other states. This has increased the selling price of slaughter animals in Kerala. We are forced to pass on the liability to the consumers”.

The association said the Supreme Court had directed all states in 2018 to ensure the hassle-free movement of cattle loads. District police superintendents were told to monitor complaints in this regard. However, traders allege that the order is not being complied with by police in various states.

According to traders, the dwindling supply of bulls from Tamil Nadu has also contributed to the crisis over time. The supply has declined after farmers gradually stopped rearing bulls for farm work following the mechanisation of agriculture.

Abdul Salim, a Kozhikode-based inter-state cattle trader, said beef exporters have started procuring animals from markets in other states where Kerala traders used to make bulk purchases. “Agents of exporting firms are lifting animals from the farmers. This has brought down supply to markets in other states. Otherwise, we have to offer them a higher price, which will again reflect in our selling price in Kerala,” said Abdul Salim.

According to the cattle merchants’ association, around 7 lakh people are engaged in the sector, including trading, slaughtering and the sale of beef.