Farmers in Noakhali have prepared 1 lakh 67 thousand 378 animals for Qurbani. Demand in the district is 1 lakh 36 thousand 983 animals, meaning there will be a surplus of 30,395 after local needs are met.

District livestock officer, agriculturist Abul Kalam Azad, confirmed the figures to Jago News.

He said favourable weather had allowed the district's farmers to prepare more animals than needed. They include 53,404 bulls, 37,892 bullocks, 13,788 cows, 7,476 buffaloes, 42,316 goats, 12,500 sheep and two other animals.

Md Faisal, a farmer in Companiganj, told Jago News: "This time I have raised 22 cattle. But because of the high prices of feed, medicine and vaccines, costs have been much higher than before, so cattle prices are a little higher than before."

He said those who sacrifice local cattle will still prefer them even if the price is a little higher.

Abdullah Al Mamun is a farmer in Islampur village, ward 2, Nijhum Dwip union, on the island upazila of Hatiya. "I have loved rearing animals since childhood, but as it is an isolated place I never really had the chance," he said. "Setting up a farm in this remote area is hard. Still, I keep trying, and this year too I have prepared animals for Qurbani."

Upazila livestock officer Dr Taslima Ferdousi told Jago News the government was committed to livestock production. "Because we have supervised the farmers in various ways on behalf of the government, animal production has exceeded the target this year," she said.

Dr Abdur Rahim, deputy director of the Department of Livestock Services for greater Noakhali (Noakhali, Feni and Lakshmipur), said Noakhali's vast char areas are hit by storms and tidal surges, and because the area is low-lying, rearing livestock is very risky. Even so, farmers had worked tirelessly and, with the department's support, achieved good production this year.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.