Ahead of Eid-ul-Adha, about 550,000 farmers across the country were ready. Small and medium entrepreneurs everywhere had invested in cattle fattening farms, and most said they had avoided hormones and chemicals this year. The Department of Livestock Services said no animals would need to be imported to meet Qurbani demand.

The country needs 23 million cattle, goats, buffalo and sheep a year for meat, and half are needed at Eid-ul-Adha. To meet this huge demand, the number of seasonal farm entrepreneurs grows every year, from small farmers to big traders.

Among them, Haji Mansur Ali of Konabari, Gazipur, made an initial investment of 20 million taka to build a farm on two acres, on top of daily feed and care costs, and hopes to make a good profit in a single season. Farmers large and small share the same hope.

The Department of Livestock Services said farmers across the country were ready to supply all the sacrificial animals needed, and it was active in the field to ensure hormone- and steroid-free feed on farms.

Source: Shykh Seraj, Hridoye Mati O Manush. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.