Field officers of the fisheries and livestock departments must give small farmers more regular advice and technical help, State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salauddin Tuku said at a meeting with divisional and district officials at the Chattogram Circuit House.
Regular contact with farmers, he said, can raise output and cut unnecessary costs at the same time. Fish and livestock are among the main sources of animal protein in Bangladesh, and he argued that both sectors could become more export-oriented once home demand is met.
On fisheries, he said officers who visit farms regularly and advise owners can help raise production and avoid wasteful spending. On livestock, he called for an end to unnecessary antibiotic use on farms and asked officers to make farmers aware of hygiene, disease control, sound management and good-quality feed.
The state minister said Bangladesh can now meet the demand for sacrificial animals at Eid from its own herds, and that efforts are under way to widen exports of locally produced meat. Thirteen meat processing centres have already been set up around the country, he said, and better processing and storage facilities would open more doors to international markets.
He also said small fish and livestock farmers are being brought under the farmer card scheme, which would give them access to credit, inputs and modern technology, and that internationally standard equipment and technology are being introduced in both sectors.
Chattogram divisional fisheries director Md Anwar Hossain, divisional livestock director Dr Md Atiar Rahman, district fisheries officer Salma Begum and district livestock officer Dr Mohammad Zobayer Hossain were among those present.
This report is based on reporting by Agri Barta's correspondent.
Photo: Ibrahim Husain Meraj / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Source: Agri Barta
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