BSS, Rajshahi :
Wide-ranging promotion of the livestock sector is very important to remove the existing protein deficiency alongside ensuring food security, livestock experts and dairy and poultry farmers said.
The unemployment problem in the region especially in its rural areas could be reduced to a greater extent through making the dairy farming popular in the grassroots level.
Prof Dr Jalal Uddin of Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science of Rajshahi University told BSS here today that the region has an enormous prospect of expanding the livestock sector through best uses of its existing natural resources.
Besides meeting up the nutritional deficit especially meat and milk, the livestock sector has laudable contribution to enrich the soil nutrient, which is being declined gradually due to indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers and harmful pesticides.
There is no alternative to expansion of dairy farming to maintain a sound environment along with protecting the biodiversity from further degradation, he added.
He said collective effort of all extension and research organizations has become an urgent need to attain the goal. “The sector needs a political commitment and will,” he added.
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.
Dr Jalal said most of the people suffer from malnutrition specially lacking of animal protein like milk, meat and egg.
He revealed that production of huge amount of meat through the indigenous beef-cattle improvement would supply low cost meat for people and it will ultimately protect them from malnutrition.
Production of good breed cattle from existing indigenous stock by applying artificial breeding technology particularly Shahiwal and local cattle cross-breeding is needed.
But, he said the present activity of artificial insemination of cows has been facing multifarious problems hampering the cattle breeding system.
Emphasis should be given on extending logistic supports and motivation of people about the importance and utility of artificial insemination program for the sake of enhancing meat and milk production through further expansion of the sector, he added.
“Milk production can be enhanced to ten times more through only cross-breeding the cows,” said Engineer Abdus Salam, a successful dairy farmer of Belpukur area under Puthiya upazila of the district rearing 25 improved cows at present.
Highlighting the importance of the artificial insemination program he said the cross-breed calves are comparatively more superior to the local ones so they need special care and improved management for the survival.
Owner of around 60 cows Jahurul Islam said liquid nitrogen is essential item to preserve frozen semen and urged upon the authorities concerned to resume the plant as early as possible to expedite the artificial insemination activities.
Socio- economic condition of the region could be elevated through uplifting the sector through extending necessary support towards the small scale dairy and poultry farmers in rural areas, he added.
