India is world's third-biggest beef exporter: FAO report

India has become the world's third-biggest exporter of beef and is projected to hold on to that position over the next decade, news agency IANS reported today.

The agency quoted a report released by the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation which said that India exported 1.56 million tonnes of beef last year and was expected to maintain its position as the third-largest beef exporter, accounting for 16 per cent of global exports in 2026 by exporting 1.93 tonnes that year.

OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2017-2026 report which was released earlier this week showed that India imported 363,000 tonnes of beef last year and the amount was projected to stay the same over the decade.

The type of beef exported was not specified, but the meat exported appeared to be mostly from buffaloes as the report specified the animal for imports by Myanmar from India, the agency reported.

According to the FAO, the total world beef exports in 2016 was 10.95 million tonnes and was expected to increase to 12.43 million tonnes by 2026. The Outlook report ranked Brazil as the world's top beef exporter, followed by Australia.

Till 2015, India was the world's largest exporter of beef and had extended its lead over the next highest exporter, Brazil. However, it needs to be clarified that the report was based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture which classifies even buffalo meat as beef.

The US Department of Agriculture reported then India exported 2.4 million tonnes of beef and veal in FY2015, compared to 2 million tonnes by Brazil and 1.5 million by Australia. These three countries accounted for 58.7 per cent of all the beef exports in the world, the report said.