Only a few years ago, nobody had India on the radar as a key player in the global pet food market.
Fast forward to now?… It’s become one of the fastest-growing trends in the export world, and potentially one of the leading causes of this growth is buffalo meat.
Read on as we learn about this in detail.
India’s Buffalo Meat Export Story
India is among the largest exporters of buffalo meat in the world.
Buffalo meat goes mostly to Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, but we have a big problem.
Most Western countries, including Europe, Canada, United States, and other Western European nations, have stopped importing Indian buffalo meat for human consumption. These bans are largely due to concerns over quality, regulations, or sanctions.
For a long time, that meant that India couldn’t access the large, higher price-paying export markets.
The Smart Shift: From Human Food to Pet Food
Now it gets interesting. Indian food manufacturers had a brilliant idea to get around this challenge. They began taking buffalo meat and converting it into pet food, rather than just focusing only on meat exports for humans.
The reason for this? Well, while Indian buffalo meat is not consumed in Europe or the UK due to government restrictions, pet food does not fall under the same limitations.
This effectively opened up access for Indian companies to markets that had previously been unavailable to them.
Why Pet Food? And why now?
The global pet food industry is thriving.
In 2023, the market for pet food worldwide is valued at over $120 billion, with an estimated compound annual growth rate of 5–6%.
At the Same Time:
- The level of global pet ownership, including the pet food opportunity, is continuously rising.
- Personal incomes are rising, resulting in consumers setting aside increasing levels of disposable income on premium foods for pets.
- Demand exists for inexpensive, protein-packed food sources, such as buffalo meat.
Buffalo Meat From India Offers:
- Cost-effective—up to 30% less than beef/lamb meat.
- Protein-rich—20g protein for every 100g meat.
- Easily obtainable—India has a buffalo population of over 110 million.
There Are Key Reasons Driving This Transition:
- Buffalo meat is abundant and widely available throughout certain states in India (i.e., Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Punjab).
- New pet food processing units are being constructed with current machinery and certifications (ISO, HACCP, etc.).
- Regulatory requirements to export pet food have now loosened, making entry into the market easier.
Emerging Opportunities for Indian Manufacturers
The trend has opened up totally new territories for Indian enterprises. Food manufacturers that only exported buffalo meat can now enter the pet food market without changing their business.
With some minor machinery and packaging investments, they can meet pet food standards and start exporting.
It also gives small and mid-size companies a new opportunity to grow.
They Can Now:
- Enter international markets with less regulation.
- Work with international pet food companies under private label deals.
- Increase profitability by taking advantage of a high-demand niche.
What This Means for International Buyers?
Whether you are a pet food distributor or retailer located in Europe, the UK, or anywhere else, India is a dependable solution for pet food quality. Increasing manufacturers release enough supply and have competitive pricing.
Here Are Some Reasons to Consider Sourcing Pet Food From India:
- Lower cost with comparable quality.
- Readily available for buffalo meat-based pet food.
- Manufacturers willing to customize and offer private labels.
- Export-ready plants that produce to international safety standards.
The Road Ahead
India’s pet food export story is only just beginning, but it is moving at a brisk pace. What was once a way to cope with a ban has now become a serious business opportunity. Globally the demand is increasing, and with strengthening supply from India, this trend will continue to gain momentum over the coming years.
So whether you are an international buyer looking for new suppliers or an Indian food producer evaluating new options for diversification, now is the time to start exploring the pet food export market.
