Food for thought: Telangana emerges as top producer of meat, fish

Hyderabad: Thanks to the Integrated Fisheries Development Scheme introduced by the Telangana government four years ago for advancement of pisciculture in the State has resulted in increase in consumption of meat, fish and prawns and according to recent National Family Health Survey data 98 per cent of the population was consuming meat products.

It has also emerged as a major state in prawn and fish cultivation and growth in the livestock population.

According to the socio-economic survey, the sheep population had seen an increase of about 50 per cent after the government launched sheep distribution programme. The statistical data said that the meat production (including chicken) in 2014-2015 was 50,000 tonnes and it has now crossed one lakh tons of production and the availability of meat at affordable price could be achieved. Telangana was also exporting some meat to other states.

The data shows that prawn production had doubled in eight years from 6,500 tonnes in 2014-15 to 13,800 tonnes in 2021-2022. The leap frog jump in prawn production became possible because of the new Aqua policy adopted by the Telangana government, they said.

New natural techniques were adopted to promote prawn culture with the available water resources in canals and reservoirs constructed on Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project and other projects on river Godavari and Krishna. Earlier, Telangana was completely dependent on Andhra Pradesh for prawns.

After Telangana introduced the scheme of free release of fish lings and shrimps in the water bodies, fish production had increased to 3.76 lakh tonnes in 2022 as against 2.60 lakh tonnes in 2015. Sources said the fish supply from Telangana water bodies was meeting domestic demand and some export to other states was also on. Fishing and aqua 's contribution in GSDP( Gross State Domestic Product) was increasing every year, the government claimed.