IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND LOCKDOWN ON THE MEAT CONSUMPTION PATTERN IN INDIA: A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS

Abstract

The people of India have a wide variety of eating habits that vary according to ethnicity, geography, and culture. The consumption of meat primarily covers the protein requirement of the Indians, and three out of four are non-vegetarians. There is a need to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated countrywide lockdown on the meat consumption pattern of the Indian non-vegetarians. A countrywide survey was conducted among the consumers to study the impact of COVID-19 on the meat consumption pattern using a self-administered electronic questionnaire distributed through emails and online social networking platforms. A total of 416 responses were collected from the consumers belonging to different states and union territories. The data were analyzed as per the standard procedure. The meat consumption pattern of the non-vegetarians was found to be altered during the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown period. The majority of the consumers could not obtain a sufficient quantity of meat and meat products during the lockdown period due to various reasons such as the increased cost and decreased availability of livestock. The myths and rumors associated with meat consumption and the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 further weakened the meat trade in certain areas. Based on the findings of this survey, it is safe to confirm that the meat consumption pattern among Indian consumers was affected badly during the countrywide lockdown.