There will be no shortage of cattle this Eid in Ctg

Some had feared that there would be a shortage of cattle in the market given the recent floods in the north of the country which killed a lot of cattle but livestock officals have assured that this will not be the case. However cattle traders forecast the cost of livestock will be higher this year because of the rising prices of animal feed. Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Dr Md Reajul Huq, district livestock officer, Chittagong assured an adequate supply of cattle this Eid in the city. Echoing with the livestock official, Oli Ullah, president of Chittagong Cattle Cooperative Association Ltd also said that the cattle markets of Chittagong will not see a supply crisis. “The sacrificial animals will begin to come to the cattle markets in Chittagong within next few days. There is a huge demand for local cows in Chittagong. The cattle reared in different farms of Chittagong fulfill 30% of the demand while rest is procured from different parts of country like Bogra, Kushtia, Jessore, Faridpur and Chapainawabganj,” said a cattle trader. According to the district livestock office, there are a total of 302 cattle farms in Chittagong. Besides, there are as many as 3000 farms where cattle are raised by individual farmers particularly for Eid-ul-Azha. According to the definition of a cattle farm, at least 3 cattle have to be raised for commercial purposes. The district livestock office estimates that 4,91,750 heads of cattle are currently available in Chittagong for sacrificial purposes. According to the data provided by livestock officials, as many as 4,92,000 cows were sacrificed last Eid. A total of 4,85,867 and 4,06,000 cows were sacrificed in 2014 and 2013 respectively in Chittagong. The livestock officers said that this time a total of 272 cattle markets would be set up in Chittagong (259 in 14 upazilas of the district and 13 in the city). Of the total number, 77 cattle markets are permanent while the rest are makeshift ones. Chittagong City Corporation authorities said that they had already leased out two permanent and six makeshift cattle markets in the city for Eid-ul-Azha. With the two permanent markets in Sagarika and Bibirhat areas, the makeshift markets are located in the city’s Karnaphuli, Saltgola Rail Crossing, Steel Mill, Komol Mohajon Hat, Patenga City Corporation High School and Postarpar School areas. Dr Huq said that veterinary teams comprising of veterinary surgeons, veterinary field assistants and students from Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU) would be on-duty to examine the health of sacrificial animals brought into the cattle markets of Chittagong.