SARBHANG

Written by M.B. Subba, Gelephu    

April 07, 2009: One week after the meat ban has been lifted; consumers in Gelephu are facing the shortage of meat.

Customers are seen around the meat shops every day, standing in long queues. But the customers who come late are frustrated as the meat in the counters is exhausted as early as ten in the morning.

People from far flung places like Umling and Norbuling come to Gelephu buy meat especially during the week ends, but most of them fail to get anything.

“I came to Gelephu mainly to buy meat but all the shops are closed,” said Tshering from Norbuling.

Most of the meat vendors are from neighbouring town of Dadghari. The say the demand for meat in Gelephu has suddenly increased and they have not been able to match up with the supply. 

“I had sizeable amount of mutton.  I sold them within one and half hours,” said a vendor, Vinod.  The current rate of mutton is Nu 165 for a kilogram.

The demand for pork according to vendors is the highest.  They say that farmers in Dadghari and neighbouring places have increased the price of pigs. A kilogram of pork costs Nu 105 at Gelephu.

Shortage of meat has increased the demand for fish. A vendor said he used to sell about 50 kilograms of fish every day earlier, and it has increased by 30 percent in the recent times. 

“Customers always demand for pork and chicken. Fish, it seems is the last alternative,” he said.