46,000 cattle ready for sacrifice in Durgapur

Bulbul Islam, Rajshahi

Farmers and householders in Durgapur Upazila of the district are busy taking care of their livestock ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. On the other hand, traders are roaming the village to buy cattle. However, there is a fear that prices will fall if Indian animals enter the local markets.

The Upazila Livestock Office has informed that about 46,000 livestock have been prepared for sale across the upazila ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. Among them, farmers and householders have raised goats, sheep, buffaloes and various breeds of cows including Nepalese, Australian, Friesian, Haryana and domestic ones.

It has been seen in various areas of the upazila that farmers and householders have paid extra attention to raising livestock. They are providing regular physical examinations and treatment. However, the owners say that in addition to fodder, medical expenses, medicine and husbandry expenses have increased significantly compared to before, and they will have to suffer losses if they do not get good prices.

Shukur Uddin, a farmer from the Amgachi Bazar area of ​​the upazila, said, “On the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha, 3 Friesian cows and 11 buffaloes have been prepared for sale in my farm. The farm is kept clean and tidy. However, due to the high price of fodder, more expenses have been incurred on the farm’s cows and buffaloes. Now I am worried about the market price. However, if Indian cattle somehow enter, our hard work will go in vain. We demand from the concerned officials to stop the entry of illegal cattle.”

Farmer Saiful Islam said, “I keep 8/10 cows every year in the hope of profit. Last year, the prices of everything including fodder increased, and I had to suffer losses by keeping the animals. This time, there are 4 cows in the farm, and if the price is good, I will raise the animals commercially in the future.”

Upazila Livestock Officer Dr Jannatul Ferdous said, “We have conducted awareness campaigns in different areas to prevent the sacrificial animals from being fattened with chemicals. Moreover, supervision is being done to ensure that low-quality medicines are not kept in various veterinary pharmacies. However, the production cost has increased slightly due to the increase in the price of fodder in several phases. This time, more animals are ready for sacrifice in this upazila than the demand.”