Soybean meal exports need to be stopped immediately to protect the farmers. Otherwise, price of feeds in the country's poultry and fisheries sector will go up forcing the farmers to suffer huge losses.
Md Imran Hossain, President of Bangladesh Dairy Farmers Association (BDFA) made the demand at a press conference on Monday morning at the Maulana Mohammad Akram Khan Hall of the National Press Club.
He said, “Exporting soybean is a suicidal decision for the country. This decision will result in huge losses to the country's poultry and livestock sector.”
He added that meanwhile, local soybean meal producers have increased the price of soybean meals by Tk 10-12 per kg following the decision. They have reduced supply creating an artificial crisis in the market. President of the association said that at present, it takes about 50 days to import soybean meals from Brazil and Argentina, 70 days from the United States, 7 to 10 days by road from India and 15 to 20 days by container. About 29 lakh cattle were left unsold in the last Eid. To reduce the losses of the farmers, importing frozen buffalo meat from India must be put to a halt. Meat is entering through Chittagong Port even after the prohibition of the concerned secretary.
He added, “The price of cow feed has to be curbed. If prices continue to rise in this way, there will be no way but to close the farm. Therefore, we seek the Prime Minister's intervention in this regard without delay.”
Co-president of the organisation Ali Azam Rahman Shibli, general secretary Shah Imran, finance secretary Zafar Ahmed Patwari, joint general secretary Najib Ullah and other officials were present during the event.
