Journal of Scientific Research and Reports

Meat is a primary source of protein consumed in the world and secondary source of protein in India. India produced 10.25 million tonnes of meat in 2023-24. Telangana is the fourth largest meat producing state accounting for 10.85% of India’s meat production. The present study attempts to analyse the growth pattern, regional variations, sources of growth and instability in production of meat from different types of meat animals (buffaloes, sheep and goats) at the district level by using Compound growth rates, Coefficient of variation, Coppock’s Instability Index (CII) and Hazell’s decomposition analysis for the time series data from 2014-15 to 2023-24 on no of animals slaughtered, yield and meat production.  Between 2014-15 and 2023-24 average meat production in Telangana has increased by 120.32% from 505.05 to 1112.73 thousand tons with an average of 800.4 thousand tons. Telangna’s share is increasing in all types of meats except sheep meat where it is showing slight decreasing trend in its share. Category wise analysis shows that poultry meat occupies major share of 46.12% and 43.27% of average meat production in Telangana and India respectively. Telangana accounts for an average share of 9.8% of meat animals and 9.4% of meat production. Its share is increasing for both production and animals for all types of meats. Meat production in telangana shows increasing trend for all types of meat, milch animals and yield. Overall Telangana meat production is stable with low instability index of 2.71% which is less than 15%. This indicates high production is associated with high instability. Rangareddy emerged as leading producer of meat in Telangana accounting for 14.13% of Telangana’s average meat production. Region wise, South Telangana accounts for 50.26 % of Meat production followed by Central Telangna (35.15%) and North Telangana (16.6%). Decomposition analysis showed that animals have contributed to change in average meat production in Telangana during 2014-15 to 2023-24. In North Telangana, where production potential is more, emphasis should be on marketing infrastructure like increasing no of slaughterhouses, livestock markets, road connectivity and encouraging commercial livestock production where as other regions needs to focus on production constraints like green fodder availability. Since the buffalo meat production whose share is less in total meat is predominant in North Telangana encouraging commercial poultry in North Telangana will increase meat production.