Over 70 percent mutton shops still closed in Pune city

Pune, May 21, 2020: Corona’s infection has hit meat vendors in the city like any other business. As 70 per cent of their business has been closed for the last one and a half months, it has affected the vendors and their workers. The question of livelihood of the workers has arisen now.

“Transportation has not yet been allowed. Also, the goat weekly market has not started yet. This has made it difficult to bring goats into the city. Buyers are afraid to buy goats because of the rules for keeping a safe distance. So they are not ready to go to the market with goats. Dhangar community gets goats. But traders cannot go to them due to lockdown. As a result, butchers in the city have stopped selling meat. As a result, 70 per cent of the vendors in the city have closed down. This has created a problem of livelihood now”, said Prabhakar Kamble, president of the Meat Vendors Association.

At the beginning of the lockdown, meat was being sold. There was a shortage of goats at that time. Some vendors sold mutton at Rs 800 to Rs 1000. Now the rates are not that high. Now there is also a question of selling goatskin as its market is currently closed. At present some vendors from Wagholi, Nasrapur, Shirur are bringing some goats. As a result, 30 per cent shops are open in Kondhwa and Hadapsar areas of the city. The closure of meat shop has created employment problems for workers, drivers, cleaners and others. The workers are currently in their villages. However, it is doubtful whether they will return soon, Kamble said.

Meat sellers in Kondhwa said that at present, local goat markets are closed. So the goats are not available in sufficient quantity. Goats are being smuggled from Junnar, Narayangaon, Saswad, Jejuri, Hadapsar. 15 to 20 days ago, the price of mutton had gone up. However, now the rates have come down. It is currently being sold at Rs 600-700 per kg.

Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, there are no Jatra (pilgrimage) or Urs this year. Therefore, there is a large availability of goats in rural areas. So if the infection is reduced and the shops are reopened, a large quantity of meat can be made available. At that time more rates will come down. As the goats are not available at present, prices are on the rise.

As the market is full in Chakan, Yavat, Lonand, Kashti, Akluj etc., the goats come from there. However, at present, if buyers from Pune go there, they are not allowed to enter the village. As a result, buying and selling have also stopped, Kamble pointed out.