BUFFALO MEAT INTRODUCTION- Buffalo is backbone of rural community. INDIA has word largest buffalo population. India has livestock population of 470 million, of which 90 million buffalos, with 52% of world s buffalo. Buffalo is backbone of rural community. The world s largest buffalo population grazes in Indian pasture. The slaughter rate of buffalo is 13% in India. In this point it is strategic to maintain slaughter rate at equilibrium, to sustain future stock and optimal milk production. Due to its specific feature and merit over other meat, make it a big source of foreign earning. There is tremendous scope of increasing in buffalo meat production, as because of social taboo a lot of number of dry, unproductive buffalo could reach to slaughter house. CHARACTERISTIC OF BUFFALO MEAT The meat of young animal is light red and attractive but the meat of old animal is darker in colour, coarse and show little intramuscular fat. The dried surface of buffalo meat is dark in colour. The fat in buffalo meat is white in colour. Dressing % of buffalo meat- 43%-54% Meat % of buffalo meat-65%-70% Fat %in buffalo meat-5%-10% Bone % of buffalo meat-20%-24% In buffalo meat each part is useful e.g. kidney, liver, tactical, mammary gland, spleen, lungs, brain and hart. BUFFALO MEAT: PROCESSING AND EXPORT The slaughter rate in case of bovine is very low, where as the slaughter rate is high in case of sheep and goat. The demand for meat of bovine animal in domestic market is negligible as a domestic consumer has a preference for sheep, goat and poultry meat. So we have enough potential to produce buffalo meat for export. Total export of buffalo meat in 2006 was 483000MT, with total export value of 3500 cr. Major market for buffalo meat-malaysia, Philippines, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Egypt, Oman and UAE. For export buffalo is slaughtered in slaughter house in Mumbai, Meerut, Jaipur, Bareilly, Hapur, Moradabad, Hyderabad, Aligarh, Bulandsahar and meerut. Buffalo is slaughtered, packaged and exported from India. As meat processing industry in India, yet to take intense investment. There is need of foreign investment in this field, along with sound R&D initiatives. As Indian test is not toward processed meat, but it is export oriented commodity, may give a future path to increase share in word trade.
U.S. and U.K. are biggest buffalo meat market, but meat export from India in this region is totally in vacuumed. Quality control of red meat is urgent need in India, as maximum number of buffalo slaughtered are, are aged, emaciated and lethargic. Meat from these aged animals is not juicy, tender and lean. BUFFALO MEAT- ROLE OF FARMERS At present most of the buffalo slaughtered in India, are transported from village. In municipal slaughter house in, Jabalpur (M.P.), transported from flourishing dairy industry around Jabalpur. Farmer while observed she buffalo cannot sustain for further milk production, sold to middlemen. He buffalo is in India generally used for collecting semen if it is good quality and for natural breeding purpose. While he buffalo become old it is sold to middle man. Many time while buffalo physically unsupportive, in case of chronic disease or in accident, are sold to middleman. In term of quality meat Indian buffalo meat does not fulfil all the criteria because in India buffalo is reared for milk purpose and slaughter, while they become old. It is observed that in VIDARBH in 2009, while rain fall was not sufficient for agriculture, cause scarcity of fodder in first hand and became dry most of the well and water reservoir. In this tragic situation farmers did not had other to do than, selling buffalo and cattle, only cost of 600 Rs. These animals transported to near about slaughter house. HOW BUFFALO MEAT PRODUCTION CAN INCREASE THE INCOME OF FARMERS- Because of social taboo, even buffaloes are not productive and economical for future, never slaughtered in many part of the country. Finally they become a burden, basically on small framers. Moreover many times this situation is made due to social taboo, but lack of proper marketing chain and lack of slaughter house contribute in this direction. By providing proper marketing and animal transport facilities up to slaughter house could substantiate income of farmer, from animal which are unproductive and economically non viable. Many time buffalo suffer from disease which decrease buffalo s productivity in this case buffalo could be slaughtered with having income for farmer in one hand and farmers could be saved from unnecessary economic burden.eg Any type of mammary dysfunction like mammary tumour, mastitis, obstruction of mammary gland opening, obstructs milk secretion. In case of brucellosis, bluetongue, FMD, and small pox, affected part is abandoned remaining could be used for human consumption.
MEAT PROCESSING INDUSTRY AND BETTER REMUNERATION FOR FARMER- Processed buffalo meat, give opportunity to efficient use of every body part of buffalo, which goes waste in absent of meat processing unit. If meat processing unit is flourished, the selling cost of buffalo which devalued organ like intestine, rumen, testis etc. could be valued and farmer can get remunerative prices.eg. Testis, which is disposed could be value added. Intestine is used making sausage. Heart, lung, mammary gland and pancreas could be used in making casing. MARKETING CHAIN OF BUFFALO TO SLAUGHTER HOUSE- Primary producers of buffalo-farmer, organised dairy First collector Second collector Slaughter house Livestock market Selling of meat to consumer Export to Jordan, Philippines, Oman, UAE etc. BUFFALO MEAT PRODUCT-
SLAUGHTER OF BUFFALO- Procurement of buffalo Isolation of animal in isolation box Antimortem examination is done in in lairage with in 24 hr. Stunning is done by electrical method, 80 volt for 5 to 7 second Allow to bleeding for 5 to 6 min. Deheading skinning evisceration defeating Postermortem examination Cutting of carcass racking packing Storage-chilling at 4 C, Freezing at -32 C READY TO COOK BARBECUE- Dressing of buffalo(prepare cubes of meat) Preparation of meat, marinade, brining, rubbing
Preparation of pit Loading of meat on pot Cooking of meat, temp.240 C, time 10 to 15 min. Mopping (addition of oil and vinegar) Turn the meat from all side Other buffalo meat product- Canned meat Cured and smoked meat Barbecue is ready to eat Meat emulsion Buffalo BBQ chuck Buffalo tongue with sour sauce Chicken fried buffalo streak Smoky fried buffalo streak Smoky barbeque Buffalo chilli BUFFALO MEAT AND PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN- Many diseases, which transmitted from buffalo and other animal to human, if proper public health structure is not mentioned. These diseases known are as zoonoti diseases. Black quarter which is eradicated from western countries, still exist in India. It decreases buffalo meat quality. In case of anthrax and haemorrhagic septicaemia, if accidental slaughtered, could be disastrous for consumer along with the persons who handle it.
Hygienic condition should be mentioned from slaughter to final distribution. In each point, microbial load should not be above threshold level. These all point are known as HACCP (Hazard analysis critical control point), controlled by veterinarian. CONCLUSION- Buffalo meat production could increase farmer s income as most of the buffalo never reach to slaughter house even after they become unproductive. By increasing meat processing industry, farmers can get more remuneration because the organs which devalued (e.g. testis, brain, lungs, etc) in absence of processing industry could be valued. There is need of giving extra attention, in future, to maintain slaughter ratio, because more slaughter ratio could adversely decrease the number of milk buffalo.