Ahmedabad: About 40% of Gujarat populations eat eggs or meat.
The state has more vegetarian than countries such as Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab.
More men are non-vegetarian than women in the state.
Government officials said 38% of women in the country were not vegetarians.
Proportionately, Gujarat is 55% more non-vegetarian than Rajasthan, the most vegetarian country in India, where only 25.1% are non-vegetarians.
Officials said this data came from the 2014 sample survey and today the number might be much higher.
Geurang Jani, a sociologist, said, “From independence, Punjab has become a vegetarian country and also intertwined to religion.
In Gujarat, we have not recognized the fact that the country has a lot of vegetarians.
Gujarat has a large coastline and from the letter to Kutch, the population along The beach and those involved in fishing are non-vegetarians.
“Koli Community, Adivasis and most OBC communities are non-vegetarians.
These three groups form a majority of populations and along the minority, we can easily say that Gujarat is a country that is not vegetarian, “he said.
He said in the past centuries, Elite Gujarat imposed their food preferences and since then more vegetarian countries.” It is interesting that even entertainment has linked Gujaratis with Dal-Bhat (pulses and rice) and Fafda and Dhokla.
Because people tend not to reveal that they eat meat or eggs, the number is less reported in the survey.
We have not received that we are non-vegetarian countries, “the younger generation, regardless of caste or society, consuming non-vegetarian foods.
Many sectes in Gujarat recommended vegetarian food and even opposed onion eaters and garlic, he said.
Consumption of non-vegetable foods In Gujarat is on the rise, said Jani.
Meanwhile, there has been an increase in egg production in the state.
The production of eggs in the state in 2019-20 is the highest, socio-economic survey found.
The egg production in Gujarat is 192 crore eggs in 2019 -20.
Egg production increased from 185 crores in 2018-19 to 192 crore in 2019-20, according to the integrated sample survey (ISS) main livestock products, surveys found.
State government reports have stated that 43% of eggs produced in Gujarat Consumed in the country and the rest are sent to other countries.
However, Gujarat also got an egg from Maharashtra neighbors.