State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salahuddin Tuku has called for the country's poultry sector to be taken further in step with agriculture.

He stressed ensuring fair prices for small farmers' chickens and eggs, raising production, and keeping egg and chicken prices within ordinary people's reach.

He made the remarks as chief guest at a views-exchange meeting organised by the Bangladesh Poultry Industries Central Council (BPICC) in the conference room of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock on Wednesday, 9 September.

The state minister said the poultry sector must raise production while ensuring quality. Farmers should get a fair price for the eggs and chickens they produce, and the public should be able to buy good-quality eggs and meat at affordable prices; both needs must be balanced.

If egg and chicken production can be raised, supply in the market will increase and prices can be kept at a reasonable level, he said. Market management must therefore be made more effective alongside higher production. Unnecessary use of antibiotics in poultry must also stop, and the quality of eggs, meat and poultry feed must be ensured through regular testing.

He said the poultry sector must develop in a planned and sustainable way in step with agriculture, and the government will help create new entrepreneurs. The ministry will take steps to provide loans and other facilities, especially so that small farmers can maintain production.

To understand the real problems and potential of the sector, he said, it is necessary to talk directly with farmers in the field, identify their problems and act on them. To that end, meetings will be held in phases with small farmers in Gazipur, Dhamrai, Manikganj and Tangail.

The sector will grow stronger if entrepreneurs, farmers and traders work together, he said, adding that the government will continue policy and administrative support to meet people's nutritional needs and secure a supply of safe, quality protein.

The meeting was chaired by Moshiur Rahman, president of the Feed Industries Association Bangladesh (FIAB) and the BPICC. Delowar Hossain, secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, was present as special guest.

Also present were Mahbubur Rahman, president of the Breeders Association of Bangladesh (BAB); Md Ahsanuzzaman, senior vice-president of FIAB; Mohammad Faizur Rahman, general secretary of WPSA-BB; A T M Mostafa Kamal, secretary of the BPICC; and Rafiqul Islam Babu, director of Nourish, along with leaders of various poultry organisations.

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