Goan beef delicacies could soon vanish from restaurant menus

MARGAO
Goan delicacies – roasted or salt and pepper beef tongues, besides beef steaks – may soon go off the menu in Goa if the supply of these beef items does not keep pace with the demand at hotels and restaurants.

Reason: Beef tongues and undercuts have been in short supply for some time now, with limited supply coming from the Goa Meat Complex and supply from across the state coming to a screeching halt due to frequent and ongoing raids conducted by government agencies and organisations that style themselves as NGOs.

The equation seems simple. If the Goa Meat Complex slaughters around 50 animals, the beef traders and cold storage owners can hope to receive only 50 tongues. The same is true for beef undercuts, as a single animal can provide only two undercuts at a time. This simple equation has upset all calculations of the cold storage owners as well as beef traders, as they are not in a position to meet the demand for tongues and undercuts. One reason is that the Goa Meat Complex cannot supply the entire requirement for tongues and undercuts, and secondly, the requirements, which were met by imports of these two items from Belagavi and Delhi, have come to a stop due to continuous raids at the borders and railway stations.

“We are helpless in catering to the needs of restaurants, hotels, and caterers. When the order is for 10 or more tongues and undercuts from just one restaurant, we cannot meet their demand because of the prevailing situation,” remarked a cold storage owner.

He cautioned: “If the government does not intervene immediately to resolve the issue, Goa’s tourism may be adversely affected due to the lack of these two delicacies – roasted and pepper tongue and beef steaks – on the menu.”

Another cold storage owner pointed out that they used to meet their requirements for tongue and undercuts from across the border, given the limitation at the Goa Meat Complex. “But, the outside supply of these beef items has stopped completely due to raids at the railway stations and at the border,” he said.

With the wedding season due to start after Easter Sunday, fears are being raised over the availability of not just tongue and undercuts, but also normal beef in the market. “Restaurant owners and caterers place their orders for beef items, but we have come to a stage where we cannot meet their demand due to the lack of regular supply,” he added.

Given the short supply of beef from the Goa Meat Complex and the virtual stop of beef coming into the state from across the border, the price of beef is scheduled to increase drastically. “Boneless meat is being charged by the Meat Complex at the rate of Rs 400 a kilogram. It may cost the cold storage owners and traders around Rs 450 per kilogram, and we will be left with no option but to sell beef at Rs 500 per kilogram. Beef will no longer be a common man’s meat item any longer due to man-made factors,” a cold storage owner pointed out.