There would be many spin-offs from a well developed livestock and dairy sector apart from reducing import dependence. For example, if we have such a well developed sector, then developments like India banning export of cows to Bangladesh and the same bedeviling our animal sacrifice during Eid-ul-Azha, can never bother us

Why it is so important to build up an efficient livestock and dairy sector

According to an estimate, 58,500 metric tons of milk powder were imported by Bangladesh to meet its consumption needs at a cost of US$ 83 million in the financial year 2006-7. This represented a huge drain of resources that could be avoided. This amount could be easily saved if policy
planners did not take casually the need to boost the local dairy sector.
In 1999-2000, 16,000 metric tons of milk powder were imported at a cost of US$ 60 million. In 2012-2013, 20,000 metric tons were imported spending US$ 93.4 million. Thus, the costs of imports on this score increased by some 40 % in thirteen years. The quantities of imports also rose steadily in this period underlining insufficient local production of milk to meet its growing demand. But it is not only a matter of demand for a product outpacing the locally available means to supply the same.
The higher import points to gross neglect in building up a sector with which is vitally connected the nation’s health, nutrition and other vital issues. Governments till the mid-nineties had policies going to systematically encourage local dairies. The interest started flagging after this period that has gradually turned Bangladesh into a paradise for overseas milk powder suppliers. They have established a big and impressive network to market their milk in powder form in this country when there is every reason to think that consumers are in no way amply nourished by milk powder as they would be if they could drink locally produced liquid and wholesome milk.  But Bangladesh with its predominant number of rural people, its agrarian characteristics, plus the traditional pastoral experience of rearing cows, should normally have comparative advantages in producing ample milk and milk products. Planned efforts are necessary to develop the dairy sector.
If the dairy industry here develops fast and properly, then several useful ends can be served. First of all, it would mean import substitution and substantial saving of resources. The saved amount would help the balance of payments. The nutrition picture of the country could change positively with significantly increased consumption of fresher milk in liquid form. Mothers in Bangladesh some years ago passed their days in great mental discomfort after knowing that imported milk powders in most cases which they were feeding their babies, contained the deadly melamine. They could easily avoid such fears if locally produced milk could provide them with an instant alternative.
An improved and enlarged dairy industry will also create employment opportunities in various ways where it matters the greatest--- at grassroots level. From greater availability of cows, different sorts of industries will be facilitated. For example, more cow hides will be available for the tanneries and leather industries. The import of cows from India for sacrificial purposes will drastically decline or cease which also would help the country’s balance of payments. Specially, this year a well developed livestock and dairy sector could bail us out and enable smooth sacrifice of cows and goats during next month’s observance of Eid-ul-Azha. People would not worry about not enough cows coming on the occasion from India and skyrocketing prices of limited number of locally available cows.
From a well developed indigenous livestock and dairy sector, the availability of locally produced meat would rise helping greater protein consumption by the population. No part of the cow is wasted. Even its horns and bones are used by cottage industries to make button, combs and related products. There can be also other spin-offs such as cow dung to be used as fuel or as raw material to increase production of bio-gas to help lighting, heating and cooking in the rural areas.
But for all of these activities to be boosted, the first step needs to be encouraging specially the rural people to rear cows. It appears that institutional credits specifically for the purpose is scanty or difficult to access. Government can adopt a policy in this regard and have it implemented very extensively and efficiently through the Krishi Bank and other mediums to provide credits to persons willing to rear cows in the rural areas on easy terms. This would surely be a big stimulus for cow rearing as rural people will be encouraged to go for a good source of earning on the side.
Government should also help out in the development and sustaining of a growing dairy industry through research activities and breeding of healthier species of cows. It is obvious that rural small producers of dairy products on their own will never have the resources to invest in such projects. But the government should have the resources to invest in such projects. Healthier species of cows can be bred in these projects and sold to privately operated diaries. Government should aim to run such projects with the aim of breaking even in the areas of cost or making only a small profit. Side by side, the government conducted veterinary services throughout the country will have to be expanded and much revamped as supportive of the growing dairy enterprises. The state of veterinary services is very shocking. Inadequate veterinary services are one of the major obstacles for livestock development. The ratio of veterinary surgeons to farm animals was estimated at 1: 1.7 million in 1995, and according to a relatively recent estimate only 5-10 percent of farm animals receive routine vaccination.

The writer is Associate Editor of The Independent. E-mail : [email protected]/[email protected]

There would be many spin-offs from a well developed livestock and dairy sector apart from reducing import dependence. For example, if we have such a well developed sector, then developments like India banning export of cows to Bangladesh and the same bedeviling our animal sacrifice during Eid-ul-Azha, can never bother us

Why it is so important to build up an efficient livestock and dairy sector

According to an estimate, 58,500 metric tons of milk powder were imported by Bangladesh to meet its consumption needs at a cost of US$ 83 million in the financial year 2006-7. This represented a huge drain of resources that could be avoided. This amount could be easily saved if policy planners did not take casually the need to boost the local dairy sector. In 1999-2000, 16,000 metric tons of milk powder were imported at a cost of US$ 60 million. In 2012-2013, 20,000 metric tons were imported spending US$ 93.4 million. Thus, the costs of imports on this score increased by some 40 % in thirteen years. The quantities of imports also rose steadily in this period underlining insufficient local production of milk to meet its growing demand. But it is not only a matter of demand for a product outpacing the locally available means to supply the same. The higher import points to gross neglect in building up a sector with which is vitally connected the nations health, nutrition and other vital issues. Governments till the mid-nineties had policies going to systematically encourage local dairies. The interest started flagging after this period that has gradually turned Bangladesh into a paradise for overseas milk powder suppliers. They have established a big and impressive network to market their milk in powder form in this country when there is every reason to think that consumers are in no way amply nourished by milk powder as they would be if they could drink locally produced liquid and wholesome milk. But Bangladesh with its predominant number of rural people, its agrarian characteristics, plus the traditional pastoral experience of rearing cows, should normally have comparative advantages in producing ample milk and milk products. Planned efforts are necessary to develop the dairy sector. If the dairy industry here develops fast and properly, then several useful ends can be served. First of all, it would mean import substitution and substantial saving of resources. The saved amount would help the balance of payments. The nutrition picture of the country could change positively with significantly increased consumption of fresher milk in liquid form. Mothers in Bangladesh some years ago passed their days in great mental discomfort after knowing that imported milk powders in most cases which they were feeding their babies, contained the deadly melamine. They could easily avoid such fears if locally produced milk could provide them with an instant alternative. An improved and enlarged dairy industry will also create employment opportunities in various ways where it matters the greatest--- at grassroots level. From greater availability of cows, different sorts of industries will be facilitated. For example, more cow hides will be available for the tanneries and leather industries. The import of cows from India for sacrificial purposes will drastically decline or cease which also would help the countrys balance of payments. Specially, this year a well developed livestock and dairy sector could bail us out and enable smooth sacrifice of cows and goats during next months observance of Eid-ul-Azha. People would not worry about not enough cows coming on the occasion from India and skyrocketing prices of limited number of locally available cows. From a well developed indigenous livestock and dairy sector, the availability of locally produced meat would rise helping greater protein consumption by the population. No part of the cow is wasted. Even its horns and bones are used by cottage industries to make button, combs and related products. There can be also other spin-offs such as cow dung to be used as fuel or as raw material to increase production of bio-gas to help lighting, heating and cooking in the rural areas. But for all of these activities to be boosted, the first step needs to be encouraging specially the rural people to rear cows. It appears that institutional credits specifically for the purpose is scanty or difficult to access. Government can adopt a policy in this regard and have it implemented very extensively and efficiently through the Krishi Bank and other mediums to provide credits to persons willing to rear cows in the rural areas on easy terms. This would surely be a big stimulus for cow rearing as rural people will be encouraged to go for a good source of earning on the side. Government should also help out in the development and sustaining of a growing dairy industry through research activities and breeding of healthier species of cows. It is obvious that rural small producers of dairy products on their own will never have the resources to invest in such projects. But the government should have the resources to invest in such projects. Healthier species of cows can be bred in these projects and sold to privately operated diaries. Government should aim to run such projects with the aim of breaking even in the areas of cost or making only a small profit. Side by side, the government conducted veterinary services throughout the country will have to be expanded and much revamped as supportive of the growing dairy enterprises. The state of veterinary services is very shocking. Inadequate veterinary services are one of the major obstacles for livestock development. The ratio of veterinary surgeons to farm animals was estimated at 1: 1.7 million in 1995, and according to a relatively recent estimate only 5-10 percent of farm animals receive routine vaccination. The writer is Associate Editor of The Independent. E-mail : [email protected]/[email protected]