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Over 317 thousand metric tons of pork was consumed across India in 2024. It was a slight increase compared to last year. However, the overall consumption of pork since 2013 had declined gradually. 

Pig farming in India

The piggery sector in India is gaining slow but steady momentum. Owing to their fecundity, early maturity, and short generation interval, pigs are an ideal animal for intensive farming. In addition, the initial investment and maintenance is minimal. The majority of the pig population in India is distributed along the central and north-eastern belt of the country. In 2019, Assam, at over two million, had the highest population of pigs in India. Most of the pork consumption is limited to north-eastern states like Assam and Nagaland. Consequently, the north-eastern region also ranks high in pork production volume. In 2015, these states in India produced around 117 thousand metric tons of pork.

India’s total pig meat trade

India is a net importer of pork. Due to a significant share of vegetarians and Muslims in India, the demand for pork is usually limited to the hotel, restaurant, and institutional sectors (HRI). Most pork imports are in the form of processed meat. In 2018, India imported over 500 metric tons of this meat. On the other hand, the pork exports for the same year were around 270 metric tons.