Buffalo meat is the meat of the water buffalo, a large bovid, raised for its milk and meat in many countries including India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Philippines, Bulgaria, Italy, Russia, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Egypt.
Buffalo meat is known by various names in different countries. In some places it is known as buffen, or buff in India and Nepal; in some countries it is known as carabeef, from the Spanish term and breed name carabao. Meat taken from a buffalo younger than 20 months is known as padwa in India, pado in Nepal and bansgosh in Pakistan. Buffalo calves are often referred to as buffalo broilers and brought up exclusively on milk for the purpose of being slaughtered young for meat.
India’s growing middle-class is pushing the growth of the meat sector. Research shows that there will be around 80% growth in meat demand by 2022 driven by convenience. This will bolster the adoption of processed meat, fish, and poultry products. The Indian meat market is US$31 billion growing at a CAGR 20% and it will reach US$65 billion by 2022.