Animal husbandry boosting fast in char areas

The animal husbandry sector has been continuing to boost fast changing fortune of thousands of the extremely poor households living in remote riverine char areas on the Brahmaputra basin in recent years, reports BSS.
With drastic fall in the number of imported cows from the neighbouring country in recent years, price of the same has increased by 50 percent and the situation encourages the char people in expanding the animal husbandry sector to reap more profits.
The char people have already started rearing huge number of bullocks, calves, cows, oxen, buffaloes, sheep and goats and fattening those to meet the increasing protein demand side by side with getting better market price.
According to experts and public representatives, the animal husbandry sector has become a blessing for char people in improving life standard following successful implementation of the comprehensive Chars Livelihoods Programme (CLP) since 2004. Under the programme, 1.33 lakh extremely poor households living in riverine island chars of Kurigram, Bogra, Gaibandha, Sirajganj, Jamalpur, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Rangpur, Pabna and Tangail districts are now engaged in animal husbandry.
At the same time, the char people are conducting other income generation activities to achieve sustainable success to improve their socioeconomic conditions in leading better life and contributing their own in building a middle income nation.
Livelihoods Coordinator of CLP Dr Mahbub Alam said the CLP activities are being implemented by partner NGOs to improve livelihoods, life standard and change socioeconomic conditions of the have-nots group char families by 2016.
He said over 5.17 lakh people of the targeted 1.33 lakh extremely poor char households are being benefited now under the CLP phase-I during 2004-2010 and phase-II during 2010-2016 periods to improve their livelihoods and life standards.
“The CLP has been working with extremely poor char households through providing package supports for animal husbandry, assets and raising plinths for income generation activities under adverse situations,” he added.
Rangpur Regional Farm Broadcasting Officer of Agriculture Information
Service Abu Sayem said the char people have been successfully expanding
animal husbandry sector through GO-NGO collaboration under CLP and other
assistance.
“The boosting animal husbandry sector is flourishing char economy, improving livelihoods, increasing milk production and meeting nutritional demand of malnourished children and fodder crisis following huge production of grass in vast char areas,” he said.
Chilmari Upazila Chairman Shawkat Ali Sarker, Bir Bikram, said the char families have been rearing and fattening cows commercially to increase their capitals continuously after meeting expenses for living and education costs of their children.
Beneficiaries of CLP Delwara Begum, Shakila, Nazmun Nahar, Noor Nahar, Aklima Khatun, Rahela Begum, Ayesha Begum and others of different char villages narrated unthinkable success they have achieved to win over poverty through animal husbandry.
“We are expecting to sell some bulls at Taka 75,000 each now after buying those at Taka 17,000 for each two years back and taking special care of our other bulls to sell those at rates between Taka 90,000 and 120,000 before the next Eid-ul-Azha festivity,” they said.

 

Animal husbandry boosting fast in char areas

The animal husbandry sector has been continuing to boost fast changing fortune of thousands of the extremely poor households living in remote riverine char areas on the Brahmaputra basin in recent years, reports BSS. With drastic fall in the number of imported cows from the neighbouring country in recent years, price of the same has increased by 50 percent and the situation encourages the char people in expanding the animal husbandry sector to reap more profits. The char people have already started rearing huge number of bullocks, calves, cows, oxen, buffaloes, sheep and goats and fattening those to meet the increasing protein demand side by side with getting better market price. According to experts and public representatives, the animal husbandry sector has become a blessing for char people in improving life standard following successful implementation of the comprehensive Chars Livelihoods Programme (CLP) since 2004. Under the programme, 1.33 lakh extremely poor households living in riverine island chars of Kurigram, Bogra, Gaibandha, Sirajganj, Jamalpur, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Rangpur, Pabna and Tangail districts are now engaged in animal husbandry. At the same time, the char people are conducting other income generation activities to achieve sustainable success to improve their socioeconomic conditions in leading better life and contributing their own in building a middle income nation. Livelihoods Coordinator of CLP Dr Mahbub Alam said the CLP activities are being implemented by partner NGOs to improve livelihoods, life standard and change socioeconomic conditions of the have-nots group char families by 2016. He said over 5.17 lakh people of the targeted 1.33 lakh extremely poor char households are being benefited now under the CLP phase-I during 2004-2010 and phase-II during 2010-2016 periods to improve their livelihoods and life standards. The CLP has been working with extremely poor char households through providing package supports for animal husbandry, assets and raising plinths for income generation activities under adverse situations, he added. Rangpur Regional Farm Broadcasting Officer of Agriculture Information Service Abu Sayem said the char people have been successfully expanding animal husbandry sector through GO-NGO collaboration under CLP and other assistance. The boosting animal husbandry sector is flourishing char economy, improving livelihoods, increasing milk production and meeting nutritional demand of malnourished children and fodder crisis following huge production of grass in vast char areas, he said. Chilmari Upazila Chairman Shawkat Ali Sarker, Bir Bikram, said the char families have been rearing and fattening cows commercially to increase their capitals continuously after meeting expenses for living and education costs of their children. Beneficiaries of CLP Delwara Begum, Shakila, Nazmun Nahar, Noor Nahar, Aklima Khatun, Rahela Begum, Ayesha Begum and others of different char villages narrated unthinkable success they have achieved to win over poverty through animal husbandry. We are expecting to sell some bulls at Taka 75,000 each now after buying those at Taka 17,000 for each two years back and taking special care of our other bulls to sell those at rates between Taka 90,000 and 120,000 before the next Eid-ul-Azha festivity, they said.