Mutton prices are expected to reach an all-time high of Rs 1,000 per kg in November. A kilo of mutton currently costs Rs 800-850. The unprecedented and sudden increase in mutton prices is attributed to a lack of sheep and goats, among other factors.
According to market observers, once the auspicious Telugu Karthika masam ends on November 23, prices are likely to rise above Rs 1,000 per kg. As per industry sources, mutton is already being sold for four figures in a few upmarket retailers and online grocers. It is worth mentioning that Mutton used to cost around Rs 500-550 per kg a few years ago.
According to a market analyst, traders in Hyderabad were selling mutton at exorbitant prices due to increased demand for goat and sheep meat. Despite the government’s efforts to make the sheep rearing and distribution scheme more popular, the number of animals has not increased.
Sources have reported that Andhra Pradesh and neighboring states were supplying sheep to Telangana, but they were returning due to supply-demand transactions.
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“While the government wishes to promote the sheep scheme, few people want to rear the animals. They sell them to middlemen from other areas, possibly to the same states where they came from. As a result, mutton prices are constantly rising,” according to industry sources.
When Telangana was formed in 2014, there were 1.23 billion sheep available. In 2019, the state had approximately 1.91 crore sheep, according to the national livestock census. Despite this, nearly 600 trucks carrying sheep and goats from other states enter Telangana, sources said.
Mutton consumption has also increased in recent years, with meat shops reporting increased sales. Furthermore, recovery from sheep/goat is only 50%.
Meat consumption in the city has increased in recent years. To some extent, the pandemic is also responsible for the increase in meat demand, as people prefer healthier diets.
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