Based on the figures, on an average a Nepali eats 11.15 kg meat per year. Per capita meat consumption was 9.8 kg per year in 2008 and 9.7 kg in 2000. Despite the growth, Nepal is still far behind other developing countries.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the world average meat consumption stands 42.5 kilograms per person per year. In developing countries, the rate is 32.4 kg. In industrialised countries, average meat consumption amounted to 79.2 kg.

Buffalo meat is preferred the most by Nepalis followed by goat, chicken and pig meats. Tek Prasad Luitel, senior agro economist at the Agriculture Ministry, said that buffalo meat—called buff locally—contributes 58 percent to the total meat production. Buff production is estimated to drop 1.15 percent to 173.12 million kg.

“Since buffalo meat is typically cheaper, it is slaughtered in bulk quantities,” said Luitel. Buff is priced Rs 300 per kg on an average, 60 percent cheaper than mutton.

There are 5.14 million live buffaloes in the country at present, according to the ministry estimates.

After buff, data show, mutton stands the second most sought after meat item. Mutton accounts for 20 percent of the country’s meat demand. Production of mutton has been projected to grow 6.25 percent to 59.05 million kg this fiscal.

The average price of mutton stands at Rs 700 per kg. The ministry estimates that there are 10.17 million live goats in the country, up 4.02 percent compared to the last fiscal. Chicken production—which meets 14 percent of the country’s total meat demand—is expected to drop 4.95 percent to 40.69 million kg this fiscal. Live chicken or fowl numbers is projected to drop 4.67 percent to 45.71 million. “Bird flu has come as a setback for the poultry sector which has largely been self-reliant,” said Luitel.

Last year, avian flu outbreaks during mid-July to mid-September affected farmers in more than 12 districts. Following the menace, the government put a ban on the sale of poultry products by declaring a bird flu emergency in severely affected areas of Kathmandu Valley. The ban on poultry sales in the Valley was lifted on December 18, 2013.

So far, the government has culled more than 1.96 million chickens and fowls, 3.05 million eggs, 172,181 kg feed and 155,550 kg meat. The government has provided a total of Rs 231.7 million in compensation to poultry farmers hit by bird flu this year.

However, pig meat or pork, which accounts for 7 percent of the demand, is projected to grow 6.15 percent to 19.86 million kilos. The country has 1.22 million live pigs, up 5.60 percent year-on-year.

Agriculture Ministry officials said that growing commercial pig farming has aided a healthy growth in the sector.

Statistics show that the bird flu outbreak affected egg production the most, which is projected to drop 4.75 percent to 799.05 million units this fiscal. On an average, a Nepali eats 30.16 eggs per year. Chicken eggs make up 98.44 percent of the total egg production.

Fish has seen a notable growth. According to Luitel, amid growing health consciousness among consumers, fish demand has soared. According to ministry, fish production is expected to jump 14.34 percent to 65.77 million kilos this fiscal.