Bangladesh self-sufficient in meat and fish production, says Minister Chanda

Fisheries and Livestock Minister Narayon Chandra Chanda says increased production has made Bangladesh self-sufficient in meat and fish production.

The minister broke the news alongside other ministry officials at a press conference at the Secretariat on Sunday.

According to the joint National Food Production Guidelines defined by the Food Ministry and the Health Ministry, an individual should eat about 60g of fish and an adult should eat 120g of meat per day.

“Our per capita meat production is currently 121.74g, which surpasses demand. As such, Bangladesh is self-sufficient in its meat production.”

The fish industry currently makes up 3.61 percent of Bangladesh’s GDP, while agriculture makes up 24.41 percent, the minister said.

“Forty-six years after independence, we have become self-sufficient in fish production.”

According to a report from the fisheries ministry, the fish production target for 2016-17 was set at 4.05 tonnes. Fish production in 2016-17 was 4.13 million tonnes, a 53 percent increase from fiscal 2008-09.

Meat production in fiscal 2016-17 was 7.154 million tonnes, higher than the target of 7.135 million tonnes.

In 2016, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation named Bangladesh the fourth largest producer of fish from inland water bodies, and the fifth largest producer of farmed fish, Chanda said.