Char people expect profit from sacrificial animals

They are now taking special care of their reared bullocks, calves, cows, oxen, buffaloes, goats, and fattening those to get better prices like in the previous years, said local sources. As demand of cows generally shoots up before the Eid-ul-Azha festivity every year, the char people are expecting to meet the possible scarcity of sacrificial animals due to ban on ‘imports’ by selling their cows to earn huge profits this time. However, there would be adequate supply of sacrificial animals as the char people as well as common farmers would sell thousands of their locally-reared cows, bullocks and other animals before the Eid-ul-Azha. Agriculture and Environment Coordinator of RDRS Bangladesh Mamunur Rashid said the animal husbandry sector had expanded on the char areas in recent years bringing fortune to thousands of extremely poor char people. “The char people are now taking special care of their reared bullocks, calves, cows, oxen, buffaloes, sheep and goats and fattening those to have better price following huge demand of those this year,” he added. Chilmari Upazila Chairman Shawkat Ali Sarker, Bir Bikram, said the char people had achieved the success following successful implementation of many projects under GOI-NGO assistance under the social safety-net programmes. “Thousands of extremely poor char families have achieved self-reliance through animal husbandry along with conducting other income generation activities in recent years though they struggled for their survival even a decade ago,” he added. Acting Chilmari Upazila Livestock Officer Dr Golam Rabbani said the boosting animal husbandry sector has been flourishing the char economy, improving livelihoods and increasing milk production following huge production of grass in vast char areas. “Many char families have been rearing and fattening cows commercially and earning huge profits every year to add to their capitals after meeting their nutritional demand, expenses for living and education costs of their school- going children,” he said. Successful char women Kohinoor Begum, Aklima Khatun, Momena Lalbanu, Halima, Rahela, Ayesha Khatun and Nazmun Nahar of different char villages Kurigram, Rangpur, Lalmonirhat and Gaibandha narrated their success stories through animal husbandry. “We are taking special care of our reared bulls now to sell those at rates between Taka 60,000 and 90,000 or even more depending on their sizes in the local markets before the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha,” the delighted women said.