Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: Goa has officially revived meat exports after more than two decades, focusing exclusively on buffalo meat to re-enter the global market. The move comes following a major upgrade of the Goa Meat Complex (GMC) at Usgao, which is now fully equipped to handle export-grade processing.
In a written reply in the Assembly on Wednesday, Animal Husbandry Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar informed that a total of 1,505 buffaloes were slaughtered between January and July 2025. The first consignment—28.5 tonnes of frozen boneless buffalo meat—was exported to Iraq in February. No exports took place in March, but the trade resumed in the following months with meat from 73 buffaloes shipped in April, 679 in May, 427 in June, and 126 in July so far.
Halarnkar clarified that only buffaloes are slaughtered at the GMC, and only buffalo meat is exported, distancing the current operations from the facility’s controversial past when it was involved in beef exports. The plant had ceased exporting nearly 20 to 25 years ago.
The revived facility has been upgraded with modern equipment, including packing units, blast freezing technology, and cold storage to meet international standards. The complex, now operated by Sunface Agrofoods Pvt Ltd, has a processing capacity of up to 300 animals per day.
With all necessary regulatory approvals secured, the state is positioning the GMC as a clean, export-focused meat processing hub aimed at meeting demand in markets such as the Middle East. The revival is expected to give a boost to Goa’s agro-processing sector and contribute to economic diversification beyond tourism and mining.
