Bengal emerged as the second largest producer of meat in 2023 after Uttar Pradesh and last year, Bengal’s goat meat was exported to Qatar for the soccer World Cup. “In 2024, our state will become self-reliant in meat and egg production.

We prepared a roadmap to secure the goal two years ago and the results have started yielding positive impacts,” said Swapan Debnath, state’s animal resources minister. He added, “This was the first time ever that Bengal exported goat meat. Centre’s report on animal husbandry published on 26 November, 2023 ratified that Bengal has topped in egg production and now we’ve set our goal to elevate our position further in meat production.”

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In 2022, Bengal produced 1080.370 MT of meat, which had recorded an increase from previous 994.02 MT in 2021. In March, 1999, the state’s annual meat production was 560.80 MT.

The state in the last 24 years has recorded lowest production at 226 MT in 2007, Bengal’s livestock production chart has revealed. In 2023, Bengal contributed 11.93 per cent to the country’s total meat production, which was 11.63 percent in 2022.

Uttar Pradesh was the largest meat producer, contributing 12.20 per cent share, according to the Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics 2023 published by the Centre