Addressing the cattle feed crisis

Mubarak Hossain lives in the countryside of Bogura. He buys twenty kilo of cattle food every week for his two cows. He said, “produced cattle food is very beneficial food for the cows. But it is very costly. I want an alternative to it. I know, grass is very useful but I cannot collect it easily and it is not available during the winter season. If cattle food prices are low and accessible then I could increase my cattle.”

Mobarak Hossain statement is right. Really cattle food price is so high. The price is should be low and easily affordable. Then many people will be able to tame cattle because it is very profitable.

According to sources from the Livestock Services Department, compared to the financial year 2016–2017, the production of livestock (cattle, buffaloes, goats, and sheep) in the financial year 2021–2022 has increased from 7.91 to 3.56 lakh.

Grass accounts for approximately 50 per cent of a cow’s diet. Grass is the ideal food for cows. Grass is very nutritious and a very natural food, especially for lactating cows. But nowadays, people think that cows can be fed better, more nutritious food. For this reason, high-growth food has been given importance around the world. In particular, corn, wheat, and oats are fed to cows in various countries.

Earlier in our country, cows used to eat grass and hay. Here, after the construction of a farm or commercial cattle rearing, the issue of cow food becomes very important. Gradually, a large business sector was established for cattle feed. As the cattle market is large, food is prepared here by bringing raw materials from abroad. For the past few years, several mills in the country have been producing and marketing cattle feed. As a result, a good market for cattle feed has developed here. Several big and reputed companies in the country are also manufacturing cattle feed. Not only this, but many large farmers have established feed mills themselves.

What types of food are produced for cows in feed mills? Granular feed is typically produced by feed mills. This food is also called the “ideal food” for cows these days. because corn, soybean cake, kheil, DRB, DCP, bone meal, rice bran, etc. are made into granular foods. All of these ingredients are unquestionably nutritious and self-sustaining. These are mixed in a specific ratio to make granular food. 60 percent of it is corn. Lately, corn has been used as the main food for cows. Corn is fed to cows in different ways.

Cows are fed with grass in addition to the grain feed prepared in this way. Cows can stay fit and produce enough milk on grass alone. Veterinarians say that the most ideal food for cows is grass. Similar results are obtained if cows are fed grass instead of grain. where 7 kg of grain food contains 1 megajoule of energy. A cow gets 2 megajoules of energy in 1 kg of raw grass.

Cows in our country are typically fed Napier and para grass. But this grass dies in the winter. There is a type of grass called German grass that grows on water. Many people are using this grass as fodder for cows in the winter. Considering the great qualities of grass, there has been a lot of research on it lately. Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI) is doing research on grass. Different types of grass produce better results in different areas. For example, there is a type of grass for cows in saline areas. Again, there is a type of grass for prime winter areas.

Silage is an excellent feed for cows, which is used by many farmers in the winter. But it can be fed to cows throughout the year. Many farmers feed silage to their cows all the time due to the high cost of grain feed. Veterinarians say that cows are healthy and give good milk even if they eat only silage. Usually, fresh grass is cut into small pieces during the monsoon season. A layer of grass clippings is arranged in a cement-blocked hole, and then Naligur is placed on top of it. This is followed by a layer of grass clippings. Naligur is again applied to it. In this way, the pit is filled with grass and naligur layer by layer, and it is tightly wrapped in polythene to prevent water or anything else from entering from the outside.

That being said, corn silage is better and more nutritious than grass silage. After 90 days of corn planting, the corn crop emerges. If the wipe is 5-7 days, then milk comes. Silage can be made by cutting the corn plants into small pieces and applying this type of mulch in a grass-like manner. It can also be used as an ideal feed for cows throughout the year or in the winter. As the cow’s milk is good, the cow is healthy and strong. The country’s first digital cow farm, Ion Farm in Badarganj, Rangpur, is fed corn silage all the time.

Why are people so interested in feed mills, even though cows are fed grass and corn silage in addition to grain? Those concerned say that grain food is easily available and presents less hassle. However, making fresh grass or silage is not readily available to everyone. In addition, the price of feed mill food often increases, and sometimes there is a crisis. In all these cases, silage or grass will serve as a simple solution. Feed meal is readily available for smallholder farmers. So even if the price increases, people will be more interested in feedlot food.

How much is cow and milk production affected by the way cow feed prices increase or a crisis occurs? Farmers and millers say that even if the price of cow feed increases, it has no effect on its production. Cow production remains the same. The government says that since the price of cow food is high, the production of cows should be continued even with relatively less food.

Corn and soybean meal are two of the main ingredients in cattle, poultry, and fish feed. The reality says that the cultivation of corn in our country can be increased. Then it is possible to meet the needs of the country and export it abroad. Again, most of the soybeans produced here are exported abroad. But there is a huge demand for soybeans in the country. So why are soybeans exported? Again, it is said that soybean cake is imported as animal feed. Farmers do not know the secret of this import and export trade of soybeans. They say it has the soil and climate needed to grow soybeans. So soybean cultivation can be increased here. Soybeans can also be exported abroad to meet the needs of the country. If there is a large production of corn and soybeans in the country, there will be no need to import them from abroad. This will save foreign exchange and eliminate the fodder shortage.

After separating the paddy from the paddy plant, the dry paddy plant is threshed into straw. That dry hay was one of the cows’ favorite foods in our country. Many people used to soak the straw in water, mix it with the fine powder of broken rice, and feed it to the cows. Many people still feed hay to their cows. But if Naligur is mixed with this hay and fed to cows, then it has more nutritional value and is tasty as well as suitable for cows. Hay, grass, and maize silage are ideal diets for cows, with Naligur as an alternative feed to overcome grain feed shortages and when prices are high.

Since humans eat cow’s milk and meat, it is very important what kind of food the cow eats, because many diseases spread in the human body through food. In 2019, Chittagong Customs House seized 2,717 metric tons of fish and poultry feed. because the kind of bone meal and pig by-products in that food help to cause cancer. At that time, the Commerce Ministry banned it. It is said that this kind of incident also happens with cattle food from outside. The government and concerned authorities need to be aware of the matter. The government needs special monitoring in this regard.

Another important issue is the use of antibiotics in the treatment of cows. Veterinarians say that giving antibiotics to cows should be taken very seriously. Cows are usually given antibiotics to treat the disease. However, many people in our country administer antibiotics without consulting a doctor. There are some guidelines for antibiotic use. Doctors, for example, know exactly what type of antibiotic to give for any disease and how much of it to give. After giving antibiotics, the beef or milk cannot be consumed for 7–10 or 15 days. The farmer or cow owner should be aware of this. Rules should be made so that antibiotics cannot be bought without a doctor’s prescription or sold in drugstores. For this, humans, animals, and medical authorities all have to work together. Also, the dose of antibiotics has to be maintained.

Proper monitoring of the factors involved and feeding cows alternate feeds with grain feed will eliminate feed shortages, and the cows will consume more nutritious food. These issues need to be widely disseminated. In this regard, it is necessary to raise awareness at the district upazila level and disseminate it in the media.

The writer is a columnist.

She can be contacted at shanu.mostafiz@gmail.com