• State produces just over 45% of total meat requirement
• Imports Animal Husbandry products worth Rs. 211.94 cr
Moa Jamir
Dimapur | March 26
Nagaland imported meat worth Rs 125.76 crore in 2020-21 while animal husbandry products worth Rs 211.94 crore were brought in to the State during the same period, according to an official report.
Further, the State produced 45.07% of the total requirement of husbandry products worth Rs 1022.61 crore, leaving a shortfall of 54.93%, informed the Annual Administrative Report (AAR) 2022-23 of the Department of the Animal Husbandry &Veterinary Services (AH&VS), Nagaland.
Citing the Sample Survey Report of 2020-21, the AAR informed that Nagaland requires 52.37 (thousand) tonne of meat annually.
However, only 23.87 tonne (45.57%) of meat could be produced internally leaving a shortfall of 38.50 tonne or nearly 55% of the requirement.
Out of the shortfall, the State imported 7.06 tonne worth Rs 125.76 crore in monetary value, informed the report tabled in the ongoing 1st Session of the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly on March 23.
Meanwhile, as per the report, the monetary value of Nagaland’s total requirement of animal husbandry products stood at Rs 2263.695 crore in 2020-21, out of which it could internally produce products worth Rs 1022.61 crore, resulting in gap of Rs 1241.08 or 54.93%.
Milk & Eggs Production
Apart from meat, the other animal husbandry products listed were milk and eggs, with total requirement respectively at 112.23 tonne and 1870 lakh.
Out of this, the internal milk production in the State was just 55.93 tonne worth Rs 335.59 crore, resulting in shortfall of 56.3 tonne. The report, however, put the figure at 46.30 tonne or 41.25%.
During 2020-21, Nagaland imported 2.72 tonne of milk worth Rs 80.37 crore.
Meanwhile, the report put the total requirement of eggs in Nagaland at 1870 lakh, out of which 350.42 lakh eggs worth Rs 28.03 crore was produced internally, resulting in shortage of around 1,520.19 lakh or over 81% of the total requirement.
Accordingly, the State imported 116.20 lakh eggs during 2020-21 worth Rs 5.81 crore, bringing down the shortfall to 1,403.99 lakh eggs or 75.07% of the total requirement.
The AH&HS report further noted that due to shortage of major livestock products, the per capita availability was far below tentative requirement. For instance, as per the report, the tentative requirement of meat in the State is 70 gram (per head per day) but only 40 gram was available.
Likewise, the tentative requirement of milk per person in a day was 150 gram, but only 74 gram was available. Further, the report noted that a person requires ½ number of egg per day, but only 22 per annum was available.
‘Very positive sign’ neglected?
Meanwhile, for the department, the shortfall indicated was a “very positive sign,” as it implies immense potentials and scopes for animal husbandry development in in terms of demand and supply.
Despite gap, the import quantum of animal husbandry products is gradually reducing when compared with the base level of 2001-02 when it was calculated at Rs. 375.00 crore, it maintained.
However, comparison with previous report indicated that internal production of animal husbandry products are actually decreasing, despite such recognition.
For instance, the department AAR’s 2019-20 report citing Sample Survey Report of 2018-19, informed that the total internal production of meat, milk and egg stood respectively at 32.03 tonne (‘000), 74.03 tonne and 374.71 lakh. The same figure was cited for the Department’s 2020-21 report.
Incidentally, the figure updated in the 2021-22 report, highlighted decline in internal production of all the three items with meat at 23.87 tonne, milk at 55.93 tonne and 350.42 lakh eggs.
This seems to suggest that the State is failing to increase internal production and capitalise on the shortfall, despite terming it ‘very positive.’
In addition, while it was not listed on the present status table, an updated version given under the heading “Administrative Investigation & Statistics” informed that data on major livestock products on meat, milk and egg for 2021-22 was submitted to the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying.
It indicated further decline in internal production of meat and milk at 23.82 tonne and 40.69 tonne respectively, while the number of eggs increased slightly to 354.10 lakh.
