Indian Meat Industry, Red Meat Manual

Bajaj, Tarun, and Ranjhan SK. 2020. Indian Meat Industry: Red meat manual. 3rd Edition. Agricultural and Processed food products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. Scientific Publishing, New Delhi

The APEDA proudly claims that India’s rich ‘livestock wealth’ plays an important role in the country’s socio-economic development and includes Buffalo meat, Sheep/ Goat meat, Poultry products, Animal Casings, Milk and Milk products, Honey, etc. Buffalo meat for export is largely of frozen deboned, deglanded meat of below 6 pH packed in different cuts as also vacuum packed chilled buffalo meat.

India ranks 1st in production of buffalo meat with share of 42.60% and the country has exported 1.24 Million MT of buffalo meat products to the world for the worth of US$ 3.61 billion during 2018-19.

Following the OIE guidelines, the meat produced in India for export, is in the form of deboned and deglanded frozen Buffalo meat. The animals are raised on natural feeds without any supplement of antibiotics, hormones and growth promoters.

India exports buffalo meat to more than 70 countries and the major markets are Vietnam, Malaysia, Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, Indonesia, UAE, Algeria, and Russia.

Livestock sector is an important component of India’s economy in terms of income, employment and foreign exchange earnings. Following the sustained economic growth and rising domestic income, the demand for livestock products has increased tremendously. This has encouraged the rapid expansion of livestock output during the last two decades, particularly for exports.

India is world’s largest exporter of buffalo meat globally. In 2018-19, it exported 70% of its buffalo meat production accounting for 1.24 Million Tonnes of deboned buffalo meat equivalent to 2.0 Million Tonnes of dressed buffalo carcasses valued at Indian Rupees 25,168 Millions (US $ 3.61 billions). There are 111 modern meat plants many of which are fully integrated right from slaughter to the production of frozen buffalo meat with rendering and effluent treatment plants which are apparently world class to ensure green safe production.

India has 13% of world cattle population and 42.61% (110.17 million) of world buffalo population, maintained by rural families with small land holdings of 1-2 acres and landless labourers for milk, draught and meat production.

When the dairy animals are retired from productive age, they are utilized for meat production, in addition to male progeny born. Utilization of large animals as draught animal has gone down due to progressive mechanization.

The majority of cattle/buffalo owners are subsistence farmers with little or no land (½ to 1 acre), and with 2 cattle-buffalo on an average. Bovines (cattle and buffaloes) provide milk, draught power and manure and utilize non-marketable farm by products.

The general features of production system of small farms under village conditions are: (1) It is complimentary to crop production; (2) Marginal lands and non marketable bio-mass are efficiently utilized; (3) readily available/surplus family labour are economically utilized, (4) simple and traditional technologies requiring minimum cash inputs are employed; (5), therefore, economic risks are very little.

Poultry production is being steadily commercialized where a few hundred thousands of layers and broilers are kept. Sixty per cent production at present is under this system and remaining 40 per cent is still with small farmers as backyard system.

Ruminants are fed on crop residues, green fodders, non conventional feed resources and compounded livestock feeds. Animals are also grazed on natural pastures. Feeding of mammalian by-products is prohibited in India. Similarly, hormones and antibiotics are not fed as feed supplements to lactating and meat animals. Therefore, dairying and meat production is almost organic.

India is world’s largest exporter of buffalo meat. In 2018-19, India exported 1.24 Million MT of buffalo meat worth 3.61 US$ billions. There are more than 111 modern meat processing plants many of which are fully integrated right from slaughter to the production of frozen buffalo meat with rendering and effluent treatment plants to ensure green safe meat production. The plants are world class and there is big potential for meat industry because of large livestock population. Although India has acquired number one status in the world, contributing 21.91% (176 million tonnes) of the world’s total milk production, the meat production which jibes well with dairying, is still lagging behind.

Apart from fresh meat and edible offals, livestock support trade related to fresh frozen meat, raw and wet blue hides and skins, bones to be further processed into gelatin, ossein, di-calcium phosphate etc., casing from intestines, souvenirs from horns and hooves, blood for pharmaceuticals, meat cum bone meal and tallow and pet foods,

India is the largest buffalo meat exporting country. Production and export of meat from India commenced in the year 1969. During the last 50 years, the quantity of meat exported from India has been increasing and so also the number of countries to which it is exported.

Buffalo meat has many positive characteristics

1. The livestock in India is reared in green pastures and agricultural crop residues thus are raised under green livestock production system;

2. There is no practice of using hormones, antibiotics or any other chemicals to promote growth and fattening of livestock;

3. The Indian livestock is free from Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (Mad Cow Disease), Rinderpest and Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP).

4. The India buffalo meat is 93% chemically lean and blends very well with other ingredients for value added products.

5. India meat is free from radiation;

6. The animals are slaughtered according to the requirement of importing country/importer;

7. Indian buffalo meat blends very well with other meats and best suited for value added products;

8. Indian buffalo meat is low in fat and cholesterol; (Table – USDA)

9. Animal welfare practices are adopted, which follow the guidelines given in Society for Prevention of Cruelty toward Animals (SPCA) Act of Animal Welfare Board and the transport of animals to the slaughters houses.

The meat exports together with their value (US $) from India during 2009-10 to 2018-19, are given in Table 2. The present export is valued at Rs. 25,168 crores (US$ 3.60 Billion) annually.

From these Tables, it is noticed that approximately 1.13 million tonnes of deboned buffalo meat is exported which comes about 2.0 million tonnes of meat with bones. It has more future as new markets are being added each year and demand is likely to increase in the existing markets.

The Government of India has laid down standards for export of meat which include standards for abattoirs and processing plants for various meat products. Registration of abattoirs and meat processing plant is done by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government

of India.

Inspection of the meat processing plants carried out by a committee of experts as per the standards laid-down. An inter-ministerial committee has been constituted comprising of representatives from Department of Animal Husbandry, Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying of the State Government, Export Inspection Council, Secretary, Veterinary Council of India and reputed Veterinary Scientists.

The Registration of the plant is given after detailed inspection by the said committee. During inspections, infrastructure, staff hygiene maintained by the plant, ante-mortem and postmortem laboratory facilities, record maintenance, etc is checked as per the standards and specifications. The registration of the meat processing plant is renewed every year after a detailed plant inspection by the committee.

Under the existing Foreign Trade Policy, the export of beef (meat of cow, oxen, calf) and bone-in meat of buffalo is prohibited and is not permitted to be exported. However, the export of sheep and goat meat and boneless buffalo meat is freely allowed subject to fulfillment of the condition stipulated in the policy. The policy further states that the meat should be sourced from abattoirs and meat processing plants registered with APEDA.

According to the current Export and Import Policy of the Government of India, each export consignment is subject to compulsory microbiological and other tests and a comprehensive pre-shipment inspection certificate is issued by the recognized laboratory. Each export consignment is accompanied by this health certificate. This certificate also states that meat has been produced from healthy, disease-free livestock, which are free from contagious and infectious disease, including foot-and-mouth disease and other diseases. The Health Certificate also confirms that the livestock have been subject to ante-mortem inspection followed by post-mortem examination and that the meat is fit for human consumption.

In fact the procurement of animals from registered markets to the final export of the meat consignment is under the constant monitoring and inspection of government agencies, besides having the services of highly qualified and experienced veterinarians, microbiologists etc.

Meat consignments conforming to the notified standards and specifications are allowed for export. Each consignment is accompanied by a test certificate issued by any of the above agencies. The certificate is based on the micro-biological examination of the consignment.

Ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection of the animals is carried out under Government supervision by the qualified veterinarian registered with State Veterinary Council or Veterinary Council of India to ensure that meat derived from only healthy animals is exported. Moreover, in processing inspection of meat is also carried out by the qualified veterinarians.

There are about 69 integrated meat processing plants (A) which are approved for export of meat beside 32 processing plants (B) which receive carcasses from APEDA approved for export of meat integrated plants. This list is dynamic in nature which is also available on website of APEDA (www.apeda.gov.in).