Banke district has become self-sufficient in meat products as output from commercial livestock and animal husbandry has increased sharply.

 According to District Livestock Services Office, Banke has been producing more than 15,500 tonnes of meat annually. Statistics show that Buffalo is most popular meat accounting 13,000 tonnes of output annually, followed by pork meat amounting to 2,000 tonnes annually.

Likewise, the annual production of chicken meat stands at 500 tonnes. The office said that commercial livestock and animal husbandry has led Banke to attain self-sufficiency on meat products since the last two years.  Rise in local production has also substituted meat imports from India.

The Regional Animal Quarantine Office said that Banke imports meat and live animals worth more than Rs3 billion annually through the Indian border town of Rupaidiha, but it is consumed elsewhere. As more and more youth join the lucrative livestock sector, it has raised local production.

The quarantine office said that there are more than 500 commercial animal husbandries and around 450 commercial livestock farming. Seventy percent of these firms are run by youth. Kohalpur, Manikapur, Khajura, Sitapur including other areas are becoming popular for livestock farming.

“Each livestock firm rears at least 500 chickens,” said senior livestock veterinarian Dr Bed Bahadur KC. He said that meat produced in Banke is supplied to various districts of Karnali and Surkhet.  Fattepur, Kohalpur, Chisapani, Sumsergunj and Bageshwori areas has been declared as pocket areas for livestock and animal husbandry.

These areas produce more than 20,000 goats—one-fifth of the total district’s production. KC said that 30 percent of goats are supplied to Kathmandu and Pokhara. “Now, Banke has attained self-sufficiency on meat,” he said.

According to KC, 40 percent of buffalo meat are supplied to Kathmandu. According to District Livestock Services Office, farmers are earning Rs20,000 to Rs100,000 each month from the meat business. The country’s meat production currently stands at 318,000 tonnes. Buffalo is the most popular meat among Nepalis followed by goat, chicken and pig.

According to the ministry, buffalo meat accounts for 58 percent of the total meat production. Mutton is the second most popular meat product after buff, making up 20 percent of the country’s meat requirement. Chicken production fulfils 13 percent of the country’s meat requirement.