Meat consumption in North-East India: Pattern, Opportunities and Implications

average MPCC of fish is for Sikkim. The highest average

consumption is higher in urban sector than rural sector.

MPCC for chevon/mutton is observed for Arunachal

For e.g., average MPCC of beef/carabeef is higher in rural

Pradesh followed by Sikkim while the lowest figure is

sector of 4 (Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, and Tripura)

observed for Manipur. Again, Arunachal Pradesh led in

out of 8 states. Similarly, MPCC of pork is higher in rural

average MPCC of chicken followed by Nagaland while

sector of 5 states (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur,

lowest corresponding figure is observed for Meghalaya.

Meghalaya, and Tripura) out of 8 states. The possible

Nagaland led in average MPCC of beef/carabeef and pork,

reason for this pattern is that beef and pork prices are

followed by Meghalaya and Mizoram, respectively while

cheaper as compared to other meats and also the prices of

lowest average MPCC of beef/carabeef and pork is noted

both types of meat were lower in rural sector than urban

for Tripura and Assam, respectively. The lowest average

sector which is checked from unit level data. Further, a

MPCC of pork is possibly due to the demand not being

startling observation is that for Manipur, MPCC of all the

met as shown in the table for demand-supply imbalance.

different types of meat is higher in rural sector than urban

Mizoram leads in average MPCC of other meat, for which

sector except in case of fish.

Sikkim has lowest corresponding value.

In urban areas of the region, again, it is observed that

The average MPCE on food in the NE region in 2009-10

the average MPCC of all types of meat and fish (Table

(Table 6) is higher than the national average with a higher

5) is higher than the country’s average except in chevon/

difference seen in the rural areas whereas, in urban areas

mutton (only Assam and AP have higher average MPCC

food expenditure is almost same even though the region

of chevon/mutton than national level). State-wise, highest

spend a little more per consumer than the average of the

average MPCC of total meat is seen in Tripura and lowest

country. Meat as a proportion of the food expenditure

in Manipur. Based on different types of meat and fish,

accounts for very high percentage in the region with 15

the highest average MPCC is seen in Tripura for fish and

per cent in the rural areas and 18 per cent in the urban

chicken while corresponding lowest average MPCC is

areas as compared to the rest of the country in which meat

noted for Sikkim and Manipur, respectively. Nagaland is

accountsonly7percentofthefoodbasketexpenditureboth

found having highest average MPCC for beef/carabeef

in rural and urban areas. On an average, the rural-urban

and other meat while lowest corresponding values were

differential in MPCE on meat is about 40 per cent which

observed for Tripura and Sikkim, respectively. Assam

is higher than the country’s rural-urban differential, which

leads in average MPCC of chevon/mutton while lowest

means that there is larger difference in the expenditure

value is observed for Manipur. Finally, average MPCC

between rural and urban areas in the region than the rest of

of pork is observed highest for Mizoram whereas lowest

the country. Looking across states, the highest differential

corresponding value is noted for Manipur.

is observed in Assam followed by Sikkim and Mizoram,

whereas, in the case of Manipur a contrary result is seen

A comparison of Table 4 and Table 5 reveals that there

in which proportion of meat expenditure out of the food

are some exceptions to the general perception that

basket is higher in rural area than in the urban area which

Journal of Animal Research: v.5 n.1. April 2015

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