Farmers in Rangpur district fear huge losses due to growing uncertainties over the sale of cattle ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha for rising prices of feed and a lower number of customers.
Farmers said cattle fattening has become very costly and challenging nowadays as the feed prices have doubled. The farmers in flood-affected areas are facing a fodder crisis for their cattle. Many of them took loans from banks and different lending agencies on high interest for cattle farming who are in confusion to get back their investment.
According to the district livestock department, there are around 2,83,738 sacrificial animals this year in the possession of some 25,000 cattle farmers in Rangpur district. The demand for sacrificial animals in the district is around 2,16,523 while some 67,215 will be surplus which can be transported to other districts for sale.
When this correspondent visited Jaigirhat village under Mithapukur upazila, he found that there are above two hundred farms. About 25-100 numbers of bulls have been kept ready to sell in each of the farms before the Eid-ul -Azha.
Abdul Mazid, a farmer in the village said, he has 20 local fattened bulls on his farm. The average price of the animal is around Tk 1.50 lakh. He has to bear a heavy toll to rear the cattle amid the price spiral situation. If he does not sell the animals above Tk 1.5 lakh, he will have to incur losses.
Anowara Begum, 55, a housewife, who used to rear cattle in her house at Vhuraraghat village of Sadar upazila, has made similar observations.
The cost of cattle farming has become much higher compared to past years. She has to spend at least Tk 250 for cattle feeding every day. She possesses six bulls and two cows and hopes to sell each at Tk 1.5 lakh on average. She fears incurring a loss as the buyers are rating the cattle price less than her expectation.
There are around 1,000 dairy and cattle farms in the Mahigonj area of the city. Many of the farm owners’ rear bulls besides the dairy said, a few traders and businessmen from Dhaka and Chittagram visited their farms this year and bided less price for the cattle.
Babu Miah, a dairy farm owner in the area said, he has fattened three bulls besides the dairy to sell them ahead of the Eid-ul Azha. He hoped to sell each for around Tk 2 lakh. But the buyers are rating the animals much below the rate.
Meanwhile, a huge number of sacrificial animals are found in different hat-bazaars of the district every day. Locals and the market insiders said the cattle prices are maintaining at least twenty per cent higher than last year.
Mojibur Rahman, a resident of Modolpara of the city said the cattle price is high in the market while talking to the correspondent at Borodarogha hat, outskirts of the city on Sunday. He bought cattle at Tk 86 thousand in the hat while he had bought the same size of cattle at Tk 70 thousand last year. It becomes tough for the commoners to buy sacrificial animals in the soaring market situation, he added.
Milon Miah, a cattle trader cum middleman at Lalbag Hat of Rangpur city said, there are huge imports of cattle including bulls and goats in the local markets. But the number of inter-district cattle traders is found very thin in the markets due to the increasing cost of transportation.
District Livestock officer, Dr Mohammad Sirajul Haque said targeting the Eid-ul Azha the farm owners and the domestic farmers in the district have preserved a record number of sacrificial animals aiming to get profit. But the farmers have become a bit frustrated as they find fewer buyers in the market.
Rangpur Dairy Association, President, Latifur Rahman Milon said the price of cattle feed has almost doubled. So the farmers are compelled to fix the cattle price high this year.
The Char people in river basin areas of the district are facing severe troubles with their domestic cattle due to recent flash floods.
Deputy Director, Divisional Livestock Office, Rangpur, Abdul Hye said, some 13.70 lakh sacrificial animals including cattle and goats are ready in eight districts of the division this year.
Huge number of sacrificial animals started arriving in different cattle markets in the district. Locals and traders from Dhaka, Chattagram and other parts of the country are visiting the markets. Many of the buyers have become discouraged due to the high prices of the animals.
