Dinajpur cattle farmers spend busy days ahead of Eid

Cattle farmers of Dinajpur are spending busy days fattening their reared cows in the traditional way ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.

According to the Department of Livestock Services (DLS) Dinajpur, 57,146 farms in the districts have reared some 2,58,160 cattle for the sacrificial animal market.

There is a surplus of about 30,000 animals and officials expect to be able to supply animals to Dhaka and other districts after meeting the local demand.

Traders from all over the country are visiting Dinajpur to buy their preferred animals.

However, the farmers are in dire straits due to the rising prices of food and medicine.

The farmers of Dinajpur are fattening the cows in an organic way using natural food and no harmful chemicals.

Asif Ahmed of Arisha Cattle Farm in Baradangapara said that this time they have reared 40 large bulls of a native breed.

The cows are fed organic food and no chemicals were added to their diet hence the expenses have risen.

Each cow of his farm weighs about 8 to 12 maunds. Wholesalers are coming from Dhaka and surrounding areas to see and buy cows.

Dinajpur Sadar Upazila Animal Resources Officer Dr Golam Kibria said, “We are advising the farmers on which foods will make the cows fat or gain weight.”

Mosaddek Hossain, a farmer in the Shikdar Hat area of ​​Dinajpur Sadar Upazila, said that this time he has prepared 125 cows of local and foreign breeds for sale in the sacrificial animal market.

He has already sold a good number of cows to the traders of different districts.

The owners of different farms in the upazila have expressed concern over getting a fair price for Eid-ul-Azha this time as the prices have not been fixed.

They are expecting to get over the losses faced during the Covid-19 pandemic by making a hefty profit this year.

Hakimpur Upazila Livestock Officer Dr Ratan Kumar Ghosh said this time the target was set at 14,000 animals for sacrifice in the upazila but there are over 16,000. The surplus cattle will be sent to different parts of the country including Dhaka after meeting the local demand.

He expects the farmers and traders will be able to make a good profit due to the ban on the import of Indian cows.