West Bengal and She Food
These days, West Bengal is in the spotlight in the entire country. The main reason for this is the assembly elections being held there. The first phase of voting has taken place in Bengal. All the political parties contesting the elections there are engaged in vigorous campaigning. Whenever Bengal is discussed outside the elections, there is definitely talk about its culture and food. Fish and rice are the main dishes in the food, which is also the identity of Bengal in a way, but do you know how much fish and rice contribute to the GDP of Bengal. Let us tell you about it in detail.
According to the latest data from All India Fish Statistics and RBI, it contributed 3.3% to the state’s GSDP in 2011-12. However, it declined in 2022-23 and came down to 2.1%. But despite the decline, it is better than many states. These data also show that in 2019-20, about 3.25% of the state’s population was involved in fishing business, which is one of the highest in India. In 2020-21, marine products accounted for 5.46% of West Bengal’s total exports.
fish consumption
People of Bengal are also ahead in the matter of eating fish. Data shows that in the year 2022-23, per capita fish consumption in West Bengal ranked eighth in India. It is also clear from this that there is a lot of scope for further growth. In the ET report, experts said that if processing is improved, there can be a good growth in the export of marine products, especially shrimp. Bengal’s fish and meat economy is spread at many levels, including fish farming, wholesale trade, cold storage, retail sales, delivery, cloud kitchen, QSR format, old restaurants, packaged food and export.
meat economy connection
Meat production is also a big business in West Bengal. According to the Government of India’s ‘Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics 2025’, West Bengal produces about 12.46% of the total meat production of the country, making it the largest producing state. This reflects the strong demand and large market for meat-based products. Uttar Pradesh is at second place with 12.2% and Maharashtra is at third place with 11.57%.
According to the Association of State Fisheries Officers, West Bengal remains the second largest fish producer with annual production of about 2 million tonnes in 2025-26. The state leads in inland fish production and is also the top supplier of fish seed, which contributes more than 16% to the country’s total production. This sector is the basis of livelihood of about 3.2 million people and its estimated capacity is about 3.4 million tonnes, which means there is scope for further growth. According to data from the Fisheries Department of India, West Bengal has a coastline of 158 km long and has 2,526 km long rivers and canals.
Exports, scale and the next frontier of growth
According to government data, India’s seafood exports have increased from Rs 43,720.98 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 62,408.45 crore in 2024-25, showing a growth of about 42.7%. West Bengal has also followed the same trend. However, this state still lags behind big exporters like Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. Although direct investment related to non-veg food consumption is low in Bengal, companies in sectors like poultry, QSR and fish export can indirectly benefit from increased organized consumption.
she food
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