To meet the demand of the cattle heads for Eid-ul-Azha this year, the cattle farmers in Jhenaidah have been preparing over two lakh cattle to sell.
It is 62 thousand more than the local demand and expected to be sold in Dhaka or other cattle markets in the country. Better prices of the cattle heads in the season will ensure benefit for the farmers although the prices of all sorts of fodders went higher in the last few months.
Cattle farmer Raju Mollah of village Habibpur in Shailkupa municipality area in Jhenaidah when contacted said he had prepared his bullocks to six maunds in weight which he was expecting Taka 2.5 lakh for each. The same was sold at taka bout two lakh last year.
Although the prices of fodders were costly this season, the farmers like him are expecting good prices this year if no cattle heads from neighboring country enters in the country before the Eid market.
According to the office sources of district livestock office in Jhenaidah, the farmers of Jhenaidah have developed a total of 204,928 cattle heads including 104,520 goats in the current Eid as against the yearly demand for 143,000. Here the number of additional cattle heads was 61,928, which is expected to be sold in Dhaka or other cattle markets before the Eid.
Dr. Monoranjan Sarkar, district livestock officer (DLO) in Jhenaidah when contacted said the farmers in Jhenaidah develop additional cattle heads targeting the Eid market and reap some profit from the same. As the price of the cattle heads increased by 20 to 25 percent this year, it will bring some additional profit for the farmers. The farmers of Jhenaidah, specially, Shailkupa farmers are very conscious about nursing their cattle heads along which helps strengthen their socio-economic state.
About import of cattle heads from neighboring country before Eid, DLO saids there is least possibility of importing any cattle heads from foreign countries as the government of Prime Minister desires to make the dairy sector self-helped and providing incentives for years together.
