Staff reporter
Guwahati: Assam has made significant strides in boosting its milk, egg, and meat production in the 2023-24 fiscal year, marking an upward trajectory compared to the previous year. However, despite these gains, the state still faces challenges in achieving full self-sufficiency in its livestock production, as local demand continues to outpace supply.
In the year 2023-24, Assam’s milk production surged to 1,149.7 million litres, up from 1,069.4 million litres in 2022-23. Egg production also saw an increase, with the state producing 623 million eggs in 2023-24, compared to 559 million the previous year. Similarly, meat production rose significantly from 57.78 metric tonnes in 2022-23 to 68.80 metric tonnes in 2023-24.
Despite these positive trends, experts and officials acknowledge that the pace of growth is still insufficient to fully meet the rising demand for these products. According to a department official, “While Assam’s production is rising, it is not increasing at the rate required to fulfil local needs.”
In an effort to bridge the gap between supply and demand, Assam is focusing on self-sufficiency in meat production through various initiatives like the Assam Milk, Meat & Egg Mission. A significant aspect of this mission is the promotion of poultry and pig farming to reduce the state’s dependency on imports from other states. One key programme, the Assam Pig Development Scheme, provides financial assistance to farmers, aiming to increase local pork production.
The state government’s efforts align with guidelines from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), which recommends an annual per capita meat consumption of 10.8 kg. Based on this figure, Assam’s total annual meat requirement is estimated at 3,370 lakh kg.
However, despite these initiatives, Assam continues to import a considerable amount of meat, poultry, and milk from neighbouring states. A large portion of Assam’s milk, meat, and poultry products is exported to other states, leading to occasional shortages for local consumers. Authorities are aware of this issue and are working toward sustainable solutions to balance trade with local demand. Poultry farming is another area where the state is pushing for growth. New poultry farms have been established in response to the increasing demand, yet a significant portion of the state’s poultry products is still sourced from outside Assam. This reliance has delayed the goal of achieving full self-sufficiency in poultry farming. The state also continues to rely on milk imports from neighbouring states like Bihar, particularly for packaging purposes, signalling the need for further development in the dairy sector.
In addition to livestock production, Assam has also seen notable developments in healthcare treatment related to life stroke and poultry diseases. Lakhimpur district recorded the highest number of contagious life stroke treatments with 60,258 cases in 2023-24. In contrast, Cachar district had the highest non-contagious life stroke treatments, with 297,930 cases.
The total number of contagious life stroke treatments across Assam reached 188,956, while non-contagious treatments in the state amounted to 2,084,864. In the poultry sector, Sonitpur district led the state in contagious poultry treatments with 34,050 cases, while Kamrup district reported the highest number of non-contagious poultry treatments, with 387,553 cases. Across the state, the total number of contagious poultry treatments was 74,112, and non-contagious treatments reached 1,657,934.
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