Buffalo meat becomes India's top performing agricultural export in 2025-26
Business
Buffalo meat has emerged as India's top-performing agricultural export.
In 2025-26, exports shot up by 25.6% to $5.1 billion, and the momentum kept going this year:
April to June 2026 alone saw nearly $1.5 billion in exports, a huge 66.6% jump from last year.
Government targets $6B, mandates APEDA registration
The government is aiming even higher for the current fiscal year 2026-27 with a $6 billion-plus target.
This growth comes from stricter export rules: only APEDA-registered plants that meet tough safety standards can ship buffalo meat out of India now.
Plus, Indian exporters are working hard to brand buffalo meat as a global brand rather than a cheaper substitute for beef, helping close the price gap with Brazilian beef and making Indian exports more competitive than ever.