India: Livestock and Products Semi-annual

FAS New Delhi forecasts carabeef (which is derived from the Asian domestic water buffalo) and beef (bovine) production to rise in 2022 to approximately 4.5 million metric tons (MMT), an increase of nearly seven percent from the market year (MY) 2021 estimate of 4.2 million metric tons. India’s 2022 carabeef and beef consumption is forecast at 2.9 MMT, representing a nearly five percent increase from last year’s estimate of about 2.8 million metric tons. The third wave impact of COVID-19 (December 2021-February 2022) on the economy has not been as severe as the previous waves, and this should help strengthen household and hotel-restaurant-institutional (HRI) demand for high-protein animal meat in 2022. Carabeef and beef exports for 2022 are forecast at about 1.6 MMT on expected steady demand from Egypt, Malaysia, and Middle Eastern markets. [Note: Carabeef and beef production are reported in carcass weight equivalent (CWE)].