Bangladesh self-sufficient in meat, fish production: Minister

Bangladesh is self-sufficient in meat and fish production, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Narayon Chandra Chanda has said.

The minister came up with the disclosure while speaking at a press conference at the Secretariat in the city on Sunday.     

According to National Food Production Guidelines, 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 the demand," said the minister.

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

Riding on the recent revolution in fish and livestock farming, Bangladesh achieved self-sufficiency in animal protein, 46 years after independence, he said. 

Against a demand of 40.50 lakh tonnes of fish, Bangladesh recorded surplus fish production with an annual output of 41.34 lakh tonnes in 2016-17, he said quoting the latest report of the Department of Fisheries.

Citing the report of Department of Livestock Services, the minister said a total of 71.50 lakh tonnes of meat were produced against a demand of 71.35 lakh tonnes in 2016-17.