Cattle farmers in the district have been gearing up for Eid-ul-Azha, the biggest season for livestock sales in the country, as they are fattening cows by using high-energy feed alternatives.
Fattening cows means enhancing their size and weight, which would follow a hefty price tag in the market.
According to sources at the district livestock department, over 230 cow-fattening projects are currently underway in the six upazilas of Narsingdi 28 in sadar upazila, 32 in Monohardi, 52 in Palash, 66 in Raipura, 35 in Shibpur and 18 in Belabo.
Farms pursuing these projects have kept the cows under special care while adopting special nutrition programmes.
Sharifuzzaman, proprietor of Baki Dairy Farm in sadar upazila, said he had taken up the three-month-long project last year and bagged a profit of Tk500,000 from 50 cows.
This year, he said, he would be fattening 40 cows at his farm.
Livestock Officer of Narsingdi Dr Hasan Imam said at the moment, more than 1,000 cows were being fattened in the district involving special diets designed for a quick growth.
“If everything goes as planned, a cow now weighing three maunds will weigh at least five to six maunds by the Eid,” he said.
Narrating the process of fattening, he said: “A cow is first de-wormed using drugs, since worms resist growth. It is given vitamin supplements for a few days and then kept on a high-energy and high-protein diet to reach a target weight.”
Also, during the project period, a cow is given preventive medicines so that it does not fall prey to any diseases at all, he added.
