UNB, Dhaka :
Feeding the country’s growing population with adequate protein diet still remains a difficult task as the gap between the demand and supply of livestock products, particularly meat, milk and eggs, will widen extensively in 2015, according to a recent study.
There will be a deficit of 3.31 million tonnes of meat, 2.66 billion of eggs and 3.37 million litres of milk in the next year, says the study conducted by Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS).
The study, titled ‘Barriers to the Development of Livestock Sub-sector in Bangladesh’, projected that the demand for meat will hit 4.72 million tonnes by 2015, whereas the supply of meat is likely to stand at 1.41 million tonnes.
By the same time, about 10.36 billion eggs will be required, against the estimated production of 7.70 billion.
In case of milk, the estimated demand and supply will stand about 7.28 litres and 3.91 litres respectively.
As per the study findings, the livestock sub-sector faces many challenges, including animal disease, lack of availability of hybrid animals, lack of knowledge about maintaining the hybrid varieties, wide gap in the outputs of the traditional, intensive and semi-intensive livestock farming, and lack of organised market for selling farm produces. Animal diseases are responsible for half of the death of all livestock population, it added.
Inadequate coverage of animal health and the low investment in the livestock research and poor management are also major concerns for the development of the livestock sector, which contributes 2.5 percent to the country’s GDP.
Though livestock is an important sub-sector in the agriculture, its contribution to agricultural GDP is even lower than that of the fisheries, the study said.
The contribution of animal farming has remained largely stagnant with a share of around 13 percent of agricultural GDP over the last two decades, whereas the share of fisheries considerably increased from 15 percent in the fiscal 1989-1990 to 23 percent in 2011-2012.
With a view to minimising the demand-supply gap, the study suggested taking up appropriate policies to remove the barriers so that the sub-sector can grow to its full potential and meet the future demand of the growing population of the country.
It emphasised increasing productivity of smallholder farmers, expanding commercial production and ensuring better marketing facilities especially for smallholders
It also recommended ensuring feed and fodder at affordable prices to the small holders and poor farmers, providing training to the farmers, providing long-term credit at affordable rate to the smallholder and poor farmers, investing in research and development in the sub-sector, and improving the institutional capacities of related agencies.
Feeding the country’s growing population with adequate protein diet still remains a difficult task as the gap between the demand and supply of livestock products, particularly meat, milk and eggs, will widen extensively in 2015, according to a recent study.
There will be a deficit of 3.31 million tonnes of meat, 2.66 billion of eggs and 3.37 million litres of milk in the next year, says the study conducted by Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS).
The study, titled ‘Barriers to the Development of Livestock Sub-sector in Bangladesh’, projected that the demand for meat will hit 4.72 million tonnes by 2015, whereas the supply of meat is likely to stand at 1.41 million tonnes.
By the same time, about 10.36 billion eggs will be required, against the estimated production of 7.70 billion.
In case of milk, the estimated demand and supply will stand about 7.28 litres and 3.91 litres respectively.
As per the study findings, the livestock sub-sector faces many challenges, including animal disease, lack of availability of hybrid animals, lack of knowledge about maintaining the hybrid varieties, wide gap in the outputs of the traditional, intensive and semi-intensive livestock farming, and lack of organised market for selling farm produces. Animal diseases are responsible for half of the death of all livestock population, it added.
Inadequate coverage of animal health and the low investment in the livestock research and poor management are also major concerns for the development of the livestock sector, which contributes 2.5 percent to the country’s GDP.
Though livestock is an important sub-sector in the agriculture, its contribution to agricultural GDP is even lower than that of the fisheries, the study said.
The contribution of animal farming has remained largely stagnant with a share of around 13 percent of agricultural GDP over the last two decades, whereas the share of fisheries considerably increased from 15 percent in the fiscal 1989-1990 to 23 percent in 2011-2012.
With a view to minimising the demand-supply gap, the study suggested taking up appropriate policies to remove the barriers so that the sub-sector can grow to its full potential and meet the future demand of the growing population of the country.
It emphasised increasing productivity of smallholder farmers, expanding commercial production and ensuring better marketing facilities especially for smallholders
It also recommended ensuring feed and fodder at affordable prices to the small holders and poor farmers, providing training to the farmers, providing long-term credit at affordable rate to the smallholder and poor farmers, investing in research and development in the sub-sector, and improving the institutional capacities of related agencies.
