India’s buffalo meat exports

Why in news?

Buffalo meat, the shipments of which surged by 25.6% to $5.1 billion in 2025-26 (April-March).

First time

• As per the Ministry of Commerce data, Buffalo meat export crossed $5 billion for the first-time last fiscal
  • India is on track to do $6 billion-plus in 2026-27.
• India’s buffalo meat exports are surging on the back of new markets, from Egypt to Uzbekistan and Russia.
  • it is boosting the dairy economy back home.
• More impressive is the value realization per tonne. The higher unit value realizations indicate improved product acceptability of Indian buffalo meat.
• This has been enabled by government policy, allowing exports only from plants registered by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
• This is reflected in Indian buffalo meat being previously exported at $3,000 per tonne versus $5,000 for Brazilian beef.
• That gap or discount has since reduced to $500-700 per tonne.
• India is the world’s third largest bovine meat exporter, next to Brazil and Australia.
• Indian buffalo meat is also called carabeef.
• But India doesn’t permit export of beef (cattle meat).
• Even export of carabeef is from buffaloes that do not produce enough milk after around five calvings/lactations (when they would be 8-9 years old), are infertile, have damaged udders or happen to be male.
• For farmers, maintaining them is uneconomical, both direct and indirect in terms of diverting fodder, feed, water and labour resources away from bovines giving milk now or in future.

New and traditional Markets

• The new markets of Indian buffalo meat are Uzbekistan, Russia, Georgia, Oman and Senegal.
• The traditional markets are Vietnam, Egypt, Malaysia, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Iraq, Philippines and Jordan.
• About APEDA
• Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is a statutory body established in 1986 under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• It aims to promote the export and development of agricultural and processed food products in India.
• It also monitors the import of sugar.
• APEDA also functions as the secretariat to the National Accreditation Board (NAB) for the implementation of accreditation of the certification bodies under National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) for organic exports.

India’s export data

• As per FAO data, in the year 2024, India is the world's largest producer of Rice (26.52% share in global rice production), second largest producer of Wheat (14.19%), third largest producer Sorghum (8.43%) and fifth largest producer of Maize (3.3%).
• Major export destinations (2025-26): Saudi Arabia (9.1%), Iran (6.8%), UAE (6.0%), Benin (5.7%), Iraq (5.6%), Bangladesh (5.4%), Togo (3.3%), Guinea (3.3%), Nepal (3.2%), Yemen (3.0%), USA (2.8%), and Cote D'Ivoire (2.8%).

Reference

Indian Express | India’s buffalo meat exports surge