West Bengal has emerged as India’s top producer of meat, contributing 12.6% to the national output, according to Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics 2024, published by Centre. The achievement was largely attributed to robust poultry production in the state, surpassing Uttar Pradesh (12.3%), Maharashtra (11.3%), Telangana (10.8%) and Andhra Pradesh (10.4%).

The state also recorded an impressive annual growth rate of 10.9% in meat production among 20 major livestock-producing states, significantly higher than the national average of 4.9%.

CM Mamata Banerjee took to social media to celebrate this milestone, stating: “I am delighted to know that Bengal became India’s highest animal protein producer, overtaking even the large state of Uttar Pradesh. The Govt of India acknowledged this and lauded Bengal in the public domain.”

Banerjee highlighted findings from the report, which revealed that Bengal’s per capita meat availability was 13.1 kg, one of the highest among the major livestock-producing states.

Bengal also made strides in milk production, registering the highest annual growth rate of 9.7%, compared to the all-India average growth of 3.7%. Other states with notable growth in milk production include Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Assam and Himachal Pradesh.

The poultry sector has been another area of success. Bengal recorded an 18% annual growth in egg production, far exceeding the national average of 3.1%. The per capita availability of eggs in Bengal reached 164 in 2023-24, while Telangana leads with 483 eggs per capita.

In 2022-23, Bengal achieved the highest annual growth rate in egg production at 20.1% and ranked second in milk production growth at 8.6%, as per reports by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairy, Govt of India. In 2022-23, the state was also the second-highest producer of meat in India, accounting for nearly 12% of the national production.

The state govt’s initiatives propelled Bengal towards meeting its annual requirement of 1,440 crore eggs and achieving self-sufficiency. Bengal is now the fourth-largest producer of poultry eggs, contributing 9.9% of national production.

In the backyard poultry sector, which employs many women and self-help groups, the state distributed 58.81 lakh chicks and ducklings to 5,88,122 beneficiaries up to Dec 2023. This marked a significant rise from 43.02 lakh in 2021-22, with a target of 152 lakh chicks and ducklings for 2023-24.

“These achievements are testaments to our innovative policies and programmes and indicate the robust strength of our farmers and producers,” the CM wrote.

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