GUWAHATI, Nov 20 - The pig population of Assam is the highest among all the States of India, while the State ranks seventh in poultry and is at the eighth position with regard to cattle population.
As per data from the recently released 20th Livestock Census, the State has registered growth in pig, poultry and cattle numbers, even as the population of horses and ponies has gone down compared to the figure from the previous enumeration.
The 20th Livestock Census puts Assam�s pig population at nearly 2.10 million, which is an increase of over 28 per cent compared to the figure reported in 2012.
Assam had 1.64 million pigs in 2012 when the previous census (or the 19th Livestock Census) was conducted.
According to the latest data, the poultry population in Assam has jumped by over 71 per cent in 2019 as against the number reported in 2012.
The State�s poultry population stood at over 46.7 million in 2019 compared to 27.2 million in the previous census of 2012.
Meanwhile, the 20th Livestock Census puts the cattle population in Assam at nearly 10.9 million as against 10.3 million in 2012, a rise of over five per cent.
The population of horses and ponies in the State, however, went down to less than 13,000 in 2019 from around 14,000 in 2012. Assam was ranked at ninth position among all States with regard to number of horses and ponies.
The exact livestock population in the State stood at 1,80,40,283, as per the latest census.
There were 7,12,974 exotic cattle, 1,01,40,290 indigenous cattle, 4,21,715 buffaloes, 6,809 exotic and crossbreed sheep, 3,25,291 indigenous sheep, and 43,15,173 goats in the State, as per the 20th Livestock Census.
Of the total pig population of the State, 4,58,240 were exotic and crossbreed, while 16,40,760 were of the indigenous variety.
The State also recorded 12,783 horses and ponies, 724 mules, 900 donkeys, and 567 camels.
There were 4,59,93,612 poultry birds in backyard poultry, including 3,31,05,572 fowls, 1,20,18,729 ducks, 1,43,958 turkeys, 5,12,630 quails, and 2,12,723 other poultry birds, as per figures of the latest Livestock Census.
It also said that the total population of poultry birds in commercial poultry stood at 7,18,729, which included 6,60,071 fowls, 29,014 ducks, and 29,644 turkeys and other birds.
The census was carried out in over 6.6 lakh villages and 89,000 urban wards across the country covering more than 27 crore households and non-households.
