April 12, 2007

Kashmir Valley meat consumption the highest in India

Per capita consumption of chicken, sheep, and goat meat in India's Kashmir Valley is among the highest in the country, the region's Minister of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD), Choudhary Taj Mohiudddin said.

Roughly 30,000 chickens and 5,000 sheep and goats are consumed by people in the Kashmir Valley every day, among the highest in India,

The valley imports meat, chicken, milk, vegetables from different parts of the country, particularly from Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.

Mohiuddin said people are eating meat and chicken because of a shift in their living standards.

A few decades ago, meat consumption was minimal as few people could afford it. Now, there is a butcher shop at every corner, he remarked.

Admitting that some retail outlets are pricing meat and chicken above government-approved rates, the minister said teams have been dispatched to check on prices and urged consumers to report such cases.