UAE ready to get Indian mutton after export ban is lifted

With the lifting of the export ban on Indian mutton, UAE retailers are ready to re-stock their shelves with the popular meat after a six-months wait.

Indian mutton is likely to be back in the shops and supermarkets in the Emirates by Saturday after a court ruling in India helped remove the ban. Several mutton exporters had moved court demanding a relief since the Gulf is a big market for them.

Indian government's restrictions on mutton exports came into effect last August, following advice from the World Organisation for Animal Health and as a precautionary measure against foot-and-mouth disease.

Indian mutton is popular here and its long absence from the UAE market was felt by consumers.

Ahmed Khan of Al Kabeer says UAE imports on an average of 2,500 tonnes of frozen and chilled meat and meat products every month.

About 14 tonnes of meat was earlier being imported daily from India, Somalia and Pakistan. Of this, around 10 tonne of meat was being sourced from India alone.

Kamal Vachani, director of the Al Maya Group, which runs a major UAE supermarket chain, said the company has placed its first 1,000 kilo order for coming Saturday.

"This is great news for retailers and for consumers who have desperately missed having a wide variety of mutton to choose from. I'm hoping to get a good price for our customers."

Abdul Saleem, group general manager, Emke Group, says, "We'll try to get our volumes back to standard levels as soon as possible. The market will stabilise and prices should return to normal fairly shortly."

Hypermarket chains throughout the region, imported 15 to 20 tonnes of Indian mutton per day before the ban.