According to traders, mutton prices are likely to skyrocket after Karthika Masam due to high demand and supply shortages. As the burden of rising prices on essential commodities already weighs heavily on the common man, this will be a double blow.
Following Karthika Masam, which ends on November 23 this year, meat consumption surges as people resume eating non-vegetarian food. During the month-end, meat that is currently sold at Rs 800 per kg might be offered at Rs 1,000 per kg, dealers say.
“Once Karthika Masam ends, we foresee a huge demand. So we are forced to pass on costs to the customers. Prices are likely to reach Rs 1,000 per kg after November 23 and may even cross the Rs 1,000 mark,” says a mutton shop owner.
The sale of meat has been drastically reduced as many people of the Hindu faith have shifted to a strict vegetarian diet as a result of Karthika Masam. Traders hope for better business in the coming days, but customers are concerned about rising prices.
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“If the price continues to be on the higher side, we will not be able to buy enough. Last year, mutton was costing somewhere between Rs 500 and Rs 550 per kg. Now, it is being said that we need to shell out the double amount,” says Karthik, a resident of the city.
There are numerous factors contributing to the increase in mutton prices in the city. One of the major factors is a livestock shortage.
Though the state government is attempting to increase supply by popularising the sheep rearing and distribution scheme, it is not producing the desired results because many people are uninterested in it.
Telangana is importing sheep from neighboring districts due to a supply-demand mismatch. Since transporting animals incurs transportation costs, mutton prices in Hyderabad are rising.
Aside from supply-side constraints, the city’s mutton prices have risen due to an increase in demand.
Meat consumption in the city has increased in recent years. To some extent, the pandemic is also responsible for the rise in meat demand as people are preferring healthy diets.
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