Eid-Ul-Adha 2026: Inter-Ministerial Committee recommends a consumer protective price of Rs 186/kg for imported live cattle

The Inter-Ministerial Committee set up to examine the pricing of imported live cattle for Eid-Ul-Adha 2026 has recommended a consumer-protective retail price of Rs 186/kg (upper bound), against the Rs 220/kg initially requested by the principal importer.

The announcement was made by the Minister of Housing and Lands and Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee, Mr Shakeel Ahmed Yousuf Abdul Razack Mohamed, this afternoon, during a press conference held in Ebène. The Minister of Land Transport, Mr Mahomed Osman Cassam Mahomed; the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Protection, Mr John Michaël Tzoun Sao Yeung Sik Yuen; and the Minister of Industry, SME and Cooperatives, Mr Sayed Muhammad Aadil Ameer Meea, also members of the Committee, were present at the event.

In a statement, Minister Mohamed stressed that Government has put consumer interest first and that the price was set on the basis of verifiable cost. He informed that the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Protection would make the necessary regulation to fix the retail selling price of imported live cattle and that the price would lapse ten days after the Eid-Ul-Adha festival.

The meticulous approach adopted by the Inter-Ministerial Committee in a bid to ensure fair, transparent and verifiable pricing for consumers was detailed by the Minister. This approach included, among others, the formal verification of cost, insurance and freight data through the MRA Customs; request for and review of import cost structures together with the reconstruction of the cost structure; and the application of a regulated profit margin.

Moreover, Mr Mohamed saluted the rigorous scrutiny and meticulous verification process undertaken by technical officers of the Ministry of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries and the Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Protection which have enabled the Committee to recommend a fair justified price. He indicated that all claimed expenses comprising bills of lading, freight invoices, bank payment records were examined while relevant information was requested abroad from relevant authorities and suppliers.

According to the Minister, during the process, several documentation gaps and inconsistencies were identified and could not be upheld to the Committee’s satisfaction. He added that several high-value cost components such as fodder could not be reasonably substantiated. This had led the Committee to retain only verifiable, reasonable costs.

Furthermore, with a view to improve transparency in the future so as to safeguard public interest and protect consumers, the Committee has come forward with various recommendations. These comprise the implementation of standardised costing templates for future livestock imports; mandatory on-farm record keeping requirements including detailed feeding registers, mortality logs and stock movement records; and the active promotion of local cattle rearing to reduce the country’s import dependency. The Competition Commission would also be called upon to look into any abuse of a monopoly situation should the need arise.

08 May 2026

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Topics: Agriculture, Commerce