Livestock sector needs care
Livestock experts and dairy and poultry farmers said in Rajshahi recently that wide-ranging promotion of the livestock sector is very important to remove the existing protein deficiency alongside ensuring food security, according to a report in this newspaper on Sunday. The unemployment problem in the region, especially in its rural areas, could be reduced to a greater extent through making the dairy farming popular at the grassroots level, they observed. Their observation deserves attention.
Bangladesh has made a record in fish production this year. It is encouraging that the position of the country in fish production is fourth in the world. Now the government should give due emphasis to promotion of the livestock sector. As a matter of fact, protein is the vital nutrition for normal growth and development of brain and other essential nourishments of human body while livestock is the pivotal source of nutrition.
The country has immense prospects of expanding the livestock sector through best uses of its existing natural resources. The livestock sector can meet up the nutritional deficit especially meat and milk on the one hand and can contribute to enriching the soil nutrient on the other. Indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers and harmful pesticides is playing havoc with the fertility of soil. Lack of animal protein like milk, meat and egg causes malnutrition. Production of huge amount of meat through the indigenous beef-cattle improvement can supply low cost meat for people and it will ultimately protect them from malnutrition.
What is needed is extending logistic supports and motivation of people about the importance and utility of artificial insemination program in the interest of enhancing meat and milk production through further expansion of the sector. Milk production can be enhanced greatly through only cross-breeding the cows.
The vast youth force in the country can be engaged in this sector. It can solve unemployment problem greatly. A family can earn a substantial amount of money by selling milk from the cows it rears after meeting its demand. The government, particularly the ministry and the department concerned, can provide necessary financial and logistic supports to the people willing to undertake dairy farming and other related jobs. Provision of bank loans on easy terms and conditions and adequate training to the youths can give impetus in this regard. Generation of awareness can also bring the desired results.
