Status of the Piggery Sector in India-An Economic Analysis

The study has analysed the production and export performance of the piggery sub sector as well as the factors influencing pig meat exports from India. The composition of pig population has been found to be largely dominated by indigenous pigs however, over the years, the share of crossbred pigs showed a rising trend across different regions. The eastern region possessed the largest pig population while the western region registered meager numbers. The total pig population in India recorded negative growth rates for all the six censuses studied. The crossbred pig population registered higher but declining growth rates across the regions in the various censuses. The output of pig meat recorded negative growth during the pre-liberalization period while productivity growth was dismal and depicted a declining trend in the different states. The share of pig meat in total meat exports was found to be very minute (less than 1percent) in both value and quantity terms while the annual growth of pig meat exports in quantity terms was nonsignificant. Pig meat exports were also found to be highly unstable during the study period. The factors that influenced pig meat exports were institutional credit, government expenditure on animal husbandry, private investment in agriculture and Gross domestic product of the importing countries. The study has recommended continued replacement of indigenous pig with improved breeds to boost export surplus, expansion of credit to pig farmers to improve feeds and heath care and emphasis on finding regional markets for pig meat.