Selvarajan Rajeshwaran, Professor at Development Management Institute (2019-present)
Chevon (meat from goat) is the preferred red meat by Indians in general. Mutton (meat from sheep) has a different flavour, texture and smell. Indian connoisseurs of red meat can differentiate the two from miles away and with their eyes closed.
Even in Chevon, the market is segmented in terms of breed, age, gender and the area the goat is grown and the plants they eat. They cannot be interchanged at all. If done, the consumer will talk with his feet immediately.
That is the reason why crossbreeding in goats with any other breed be it Indian or foreign breeds of goats (such as Saanen, Boar) etc. have been and will be a failure. Even crossbreeding within breeds of Indian sub-continent will boomerang as the meat from the resultant F1 generation crossbred goats will have different taste and even the F1 generation has severe problems of incompatibility. Nothing to write about the F2 and F3 generations.
The usage of the term “mutton shop” is actually a British legacy. The British knew mutton (sheep meat) only.
Oh yes, in cities and metros generally mutton is palmed off as chevon and female chevon is palmed off as male chevon to unsuspecting consumers.
The rural consumers still have the choice to make and they do it with aplomb.
Huge opportunity lies in this old world. Unfortunately players, private and government still fail to appreciate this simple fact. This is what happens when policies and business decisions are made over table in airconditioned cabins and try a pan India story. There is nothing like pan India for the consumer (taste). Period.
