Shariatpur cattle farmers expect yearly business of Tk600-700cr

Cattle farmers of the southern areas expect a significant boom in business as the much-awaited inauguration of the Padma bridge will improve the communication system with the capital.

Authorities expect people from 21 districts of the southwest including Shariatpur to find positive effects in their lives due to the bridge.

Cattle farmers are no exception, as they expect to conduct a yearly business of Tk 600-700 crore due to improved communication systems and easier transportation.

Currently, transporting cattle to Dhaka is expensive for traders of the southern region.

Farmers and traders related to the dairy business have high hopes of a significant business boon after the inauguration of the Padma Bridge.

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According to the related sources, the distance from Shariatpur to the capital Dhaka is 73 to 95 kilometres. But having to cross the Padma river via troller not only takes time but also costs more and adds to the hassle.

There are a total of 16,248 cattle farms in the Shariatpur district. Among those 8,154 farms work with organically fattening cows and producing meat and 8,094 farms are dairy farms.

At present, about 16,500 farmers in the district are rearing about three lakh cows. The farmers of this district produce 0.49 lakh metric tonnes of beef and 1.05 lakh metric tonnes of milk annually.

This potential industry could not operate properly due to poor communication systems.

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Whereas it used to take 14-15 hours to reach Dhaka to sell cattle, meat and dairy products, it will take only 2.5 hours via Padma bridge. Farmers and traders will benefit by saving time and cost.

Many entrepreneurs are joining the industry and farmers are also working on new ventures.

Nurul Haque and Mehedi Hasan of Joynagar in Jajira upazila said if they transport cattle to Dhaka by trucks, they have to face severe traffic jams at the ferry terminal.

Transporting via trawlers is also risky as they sometimes face the death of cattle due to long journeys or robbery.

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They expect to be able to transport cattle, beef and dairy products to the markets in Dhaka as transportation will be less time-consuming and also cost less, earning them a huge profit.

Mojibar and Ali Hossain, farmers of the Bikenagar area, said that after the Padma bridge is opened for vehicular movement, they will be able to make more profit as well as face less hassle.

Shariatpur District Livestock Officer Dr Subodh Kumar Das said, “When the Padma Bridge is opened for vehicular movement, the cattle breeders of Shariatpur district will benefit a lot more than before.”

Commuting to other districts including Dhaka will be easier and less expensive. This will create new entrepreneurs and increase investment in this sector. Government revenue will increase as a result, he added.