Sirajganj dairy farmers face hard times

Foot, mouth disease takes toll on cattle

There has been a drop in dairy farm business in Shahzadpur upazila of Sirajganj district, as over 300 heads of cattle, mostly milk cows, have died of foot and mouth disease over the last 10 weeks.
As a result, there is panic among dairy farm owners.
Although the Livestock Department claimed that the situation is now under control, what this correspondent found in around 30 villages was quite different.
There are around 3.5 lakh heads of cattle, including cows, goats and sheep, in around 17,000 dairy farms in nine unions of Shahzadpur upazila. Most of these dairy farms do business centering around Milk Vita, the milk processing and producing company at Baghabarighat in the upazila.
A good number of cows in around 30 villages of Potazia, Kayempur, Rupbati, Garadaho and Kaizury unions were infected with the foot and mouth virus last December. Most of them died.
Symptoms like rise in body temperature, wound and infection on the foot and in the mouth were noticed. Over 300 heads of cattle of different dairy farms died in the last two months, officials of the Shahzadpur Upazila Livestock Office said.
Abdus Salam Fakir, owner of a dairy farm in Reshombari village, said he lost five cows, but did not get any help from the Livestock Department.
Six cows of Akkas Ali, two of Nur
Bux, three of Shah Alam, three of Munnaf, four of Bablu, four of Motiar Rahman and five cows of Abul Hossain of the same village died of the disease during the period. Salam further said that previously cows infected would be cured by treatment. But this year, medicines don't seem to be working for some unknown reason.
Ershad Ali, vice-president of the Primary Milk Producers' Cooperative Association and resident of Chithulia village in Kayempur union, said a cow of Ikbal Hossain, two of Hasan Ali, two of Fazlu Mian and two cows of Abdul Momin Mian of his village died of the disease in less than a week.
Many cows of neighboring villages died in the last few days, while many of his village and elsewhere have been infected with the deadly virus.
Milk Vita used to provide them with vaccines to safeguard the cattle every year. But this year, it did not do so, and  because of this many cows died, said Ershad.
Saidur Rahman, manager at Milk Vita's Baghabari office, said they could not purchase vaccines this year as tenders were not invited in time. He, however, added that they have written to the Dhaka office saying that the vaccines were needed urgently. He hoped that vaccination would begin soon.
Abdul Hye, upazila livestock officer of Shahzadpur, said samples of blood collected from infected cows were sent to the Central Livestock Disease Research Centre in Dhaka. After preliminary tests, the “O" (FMD) virus has been found. It is considered to be very dangerous.
In 2008, the virus was found in the blood of cattle in the area and many cows died. As the virus has struck again, the dairy farm owners are a worried lot.
Abdul further said the virus directly attacks the heart of cattle. For this, treatment doesn't show good results.
It is possible to prevent the disease, if cows are vaccinated beforehand.
He said vaccines have arrived from Dhaka. But dairy farm owners are not showing interest in collecting them, as each costs Tk. 15.
However, employees of the Livestock Department are moving from village to village providing the dairy owners with vaccines, Abdul said. Most of the dairy farms are under the supervision of Milk Vita, Baghabari unit. Therefore, they expect to get the vaccines from the company free of cost, he added.
 Akhtaruzzaman, district livestock officer (DLO), said early vaccination is the only way to save the cows from the foot and mouth virus.
But the dairy farm owners did not collect the vaccines from them in time.  As a result, many cows died in the last two months. Vaccines are available and farmers are free to collect them, he said.

Sirajganj dairy farmers face hard times

Foot, mouth disease takes toll on cattle

There has been a drop in dairy farm business in Shahzadpur upazila of Sirajganj district, as over 300 heads of cattle, mostly milk cows, have died of foot and mouth disease over the last 10 weeks. As a result, there is panic among dairy farm owners. Although the Livestock Department claimed that the situation is now under control, what this correspondent found in around 30 villages was quite different. There are around 3.5 lakh heads of cattle, including cows, goats and sheep, in around 17,000 dairy farms in nine unions of Shahzadpur upazila. Most of these dairy farms do business centering around Milk Vita, the milk processing and producing company at Baghabarighat in the upazila. A good number of cows in around 30 villages of Potazia, Kayempur, Rupbati, Garadaho and Kaizury unions were infected with the foot and mouth virus last December. Most of them died. Symptoms like rise in body temperature, wound and infection on the foot and in the mouth were noticed. Over 300 heads of cattle of different dairy farms died in the last two months, officials of the Shahzadpur Upazila Livestock Office said. Abdus Salam Fakir, owner of a dairy farm in Reshombari village, said he lost five cows, but did not get any help from the Livestock Department. Six cows of Akkas Ali, two of Nur Bux, three of Shah Alam, three of Munnaf, four of Bablu, four of Motiar Rahman and five cows of Abul Hossain of the same village died of the disease during the period. Salam further said that previously cows infected would be cured by treatment. But this year, medicines dont seem to be working for some unknown reason. Ershad Ali, vice-president of the Primary Milk Producers Cooperative Association and resident of Chithulia village in Kayempur union, said a cow of Ikbal Hossain, two of Hasan Ali, two of Fazlu Mian and two cows of Abdul Momin Mian of his village died of the disease in less than a week. Many cows of neighboring villages died in the last few days, while many of his village and elsewhere have been infected with the deadly virus. Milk Vita used to provide them with vaccines to safeguard the cattle every year. But this year, it did not do so, and because of this many cows died, said Ershad. Saidur Rahman, manager at Milk Vitas Baghabari office, said they could not purchase vaccines this year as tenders were not invited in time. He, however, added that they have written to the Dhaka office saying that the vaccines were needed urgently. He hoped that vaccination would begin soon. Abdul Hye, upazila livestock officer of Shahzadpur, said samples of blood collected from infected cows were sent to the Central Livestock Disease Research Centre in Dhaka. After preliminary tests, the O (FMD) virus has been found. It is considered to be very dangerous. In 2008, the virus was found in the blood of cattle in the area and many cows died. As the virus has struck again, the dairy farm owners are a worried lot. Abdul further said the virus directly attacks the heart of cattle. For this, treatment doesnt show good results. It is possible to prevent the disease, if cows are vaccinated beforehand. He said vaccines have arrived from Dhaka. But dairy farm owners are not showing interest in collecting them, as each costs Tk. 15. However, employees of the Livestock Department are moving from village to village providing the dairy owners with vaccines, Abdul said. Most of the dairy farms are under the supervision of Milk Vita, Baghabari unit. Therefore, they expect to get the vaccines from the company free of cost, he added. Akhtaruzzaman, district livestock officer (DLO), said early vaccination is the only way to save the cows from the foot and mouth virus. But the dairy farm owners did not collect the vaccines from them in time. As a result, many cows died in the last two months. Vaccines are available and farmers are free to collect them, he said.