ZCZC
BSS-03
BEEF-FATTENING-RAJSHAHI (with picture)
Beef fattening becomes boon for many Rajshahi villagers
RAJSHAHI, Aug 9, 2018 (BSS)-Ahead of the forthcoming Eid-Ul-Azha, beef
fattening activities have been intensified everywhere in the region as the
villagers attain lucrative profit from the business.
This house to house beef fattening has started contributing a lot towards
improving living and livelihood condition of the grassroots population
through enriching animal resources.
The feature has brightened the prospects of exporting beef to different
areas within the country after meeting the local demands. Moreover, the
boosted native cattle production has started lessening the dependence on
cattle imported from the neighboring country.
In most of the cattle markets, the buyers were seen opting to purchase
native animals.
District Livestock Officer Dr Zulfikar Akhter Hossain told BSS that local
animal husbandry sector has marked a revolutionary boost in recent years
bringing fortune to hundreds of people in the region.
He said many of the rural families have been rearing and fattening bulls
commercially and earning huge profits every year. Some of the poor and
marginalized people including women have achieved tremendous successes in the
sector.
Currently, the cattle markets are witnessing a record supply of domestic
animals following huge boost in the local animal husbandry sector in recent
years.
Meanwhile, for the last couple of years, many villagers are seen fattening
their bulls applying natural method.
They use only straw, molasses, oilcake, gram, black-gram, green grass and
wheat bran as feed instead of any steroid tablet or injection.
There are more than 100 beef fattening farms only in Durgapur upazila in
the district where the farmers are fattening around 10,000 bulls using the
natural method.
Besides, the villagers are also rearing over 25,000 goats in a hygienic
manner.
Dr Zulfikar termed the practice as a positive sign for sound public health
saying the department of livestock has been extending necessary support
towards the farmers in this regard.
“We are discouraging the businessmen and farmers using harmful medicines
including hormone and steroid to fatten cattle to make immediate profit by
selling fat animals for sacrifice,” he added.
Abdul Mannan, a bull fattening farm owner of Devipur village, said the
farmers have adopted new and improved practices and technologies in bull
rearing and fattening contributing to enhanced production and productivity.
The size of the market has expanded due to the growing active role of large
and small-scale private companies.
Line agencies have become proactive towards supporting market actors
especially local service providers (LSPs) by dint of their complementary
roles in extension services.
In practice, the LSPs provide training, advice and input to the producers
and earn on an average Taka 4,500 per month. Routinely, they extend different
modern technology to the producers through setting demonstration plot in the
locality.
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