In the State Focus Paper for the financial year 2024-25, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has suggested the establishment of meat and egg processing units in Gujarat for the preparation of value-added products such as chicken samosa, patties and momos.

The focus paper which was formally unveiled at Gandhinagar on Thursday states, “In order to increase utilisation and demand of meat from other states, establishment of meat processing units may be considered for preparation of value-added products such as chicken samosa, patties and momos which have a high demand in the market as ready to eat products.

Suggestions

For the last two years (2021-22 and 2022-23), the total meat production in Gujarat has been stagnating at 0.35 lakh kilograms, states the paper.

NABARD also suggested increasing the breeding infrastructure for goat and sheep in the state.

Like meat, NABARD also suggested setting up egg processing centres for ready to eat products. It suggested promotion of contract farming to develop the poultry sector at rural level.

The egg production in Gujarat marginally fell by 3.6 per cent in 2022-23. The State produced 18,789 lakh eggs during 2022-23. The state has 12.84 lakh desi fowl from backyard poultry and 55.67 lakh improved fowl from commercial poultry farms.

The State Focus Paper has projected a 18 per cent growth in the credit potential for the priority sector in Gujarat for the year 2024-25. “The credit potential for the priority sector in Gujarat for the year 2024-25 at ₹3.52 lakh crore, a growth of 18.29 per cent over the previous year,” states the paper. Of the total credit potential for Gujarat, ₹1.8 lakh crore is for MSMEs, ₹1.42 lakh crore for Agriculture and allied sectors and the remaining for other priority sectors.