PoultryWorld: Nepal becomes self-sufficient in egg and meat production

Nepal produces 1.61bn eggs and 548,000t of meat annually, says the Ministry of Agriculture. Nepal is now fully self-sufficient in poultry products.

 

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has set the per capita per year requirement of eggs in developing countries at 48 units. The meat requirement for a person, in terms of a source of protein, is 14kg per year. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development said that the country produces 548,000 tonnes of meat and 1.61 billion eggs annually, and according to new data, a Nepali eats 18.1kg of meat (2008: 9.8kg, and 2000: 9.7kg) and 61 eggs annually, which is well above the benchmark, reports The Kathmandu Post.

The ministry further noted that the country produces eggs worth Rs17 billion per year (US$ 147 million). In Nepal, chickens are produced commercially in 64 of the country’s 77 districts, and 55,871 people are engaged in the business. Commercial chicken production began in 1974. Historically, lower prices have contributed to making poultry the meat of choice for consumers in developing countries, and poultry will continue to constitute the largest share of additional per capita consumption and is expected to grow further.

 

Natalie Berkhout

Freelance journalist