1,787 cattle, poultry farms affected by flood: Report

A good number of cattle farmers in 18 districts across the country are counting heavy losses due to recent floods.

As of July 31, some 1,321 cattle and 466 poultry farms were affected by flood, according to a report of Department of Livestock Services (DLS) under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock.

The overall flood situation, however, continued improving in different parts of the country since Tuesday as major rivers receded further.

Some 754.1 tonnes of granular feed, 9808.6 tonnes of dry paddy straw and 33543.5 tonnes of grass were also damaged by floods in those districts creating fodder crisis for cattle, the report said.

Damage caused by recent flood to livestock was estimated at Tk 238.74 million, it added.

Apart from this, some 12 cows, 12 goats, 25 sheep, 26,310 chicken and 251 ducks died during flooding while some 11,358 cattle and 589,138 chicken and ducks were the victims of flood, the report revealed.

Farmers said they are incurring huge losses as they brought their cattle to local cattle market much before Eid and sold them at lower prices.

Many flood-hit cattle farmers are facing tough time due to scarcity of straw and bran as well as vaccines for cattle, they added.

Hamid Sarker, a resident of Maderganj upazila in Jamalpur district, said he was rearing 160 cows aiming to make handsome profits by selling them ahead of Eid.

"My five cows died and 40 more were infected with various diseases. Nearly 20 acres of grassland were also damaged by flood," he added.

He sold some cows in local cattle market at lower price, Hamid said. Besides, he suffered a loss of Tk 7.0 million during the flood.

Now most of the farmers in the area were facing serious crisis of fodder, he claimed.

Touhid Ibne Humayan, a resident of Sathalia village in Gaibandha's Saghata upazila, told the FE that he reared 22 cows with a view to selling them in the cattle market at hefty profit ahead of Eid.

He has already sold three cows at lower price due to recent flood, he said, adding that most of the farmers are selling their cattle at lower prices due to flood.

Flood caused damage to three acres of his grassland. Even the farmers were not getting help from the government, he alleged.

Shamsul Arefin, a cattle farmer at Kochuhata village in Gaibandha's Saghata upazila, reared 25 cows under the government's cow fattening programme. He has already sold his 20 cows at lower price.

As most of the farmers were facing fodder crisis, they sold their cattle at lower prices before Eid cattle market, he told the FE.

Imran Hossain, president of Bangladesh Dairy Farmers' Association (BDFA), said flood-affected farmers were incurring heavy losses due to recent floods.

"It will be difficult for the farmers to sell their sacrificial animals at expected prices as many cattle were sold at lower prices before Eid due to feed crisis," he added.

Saying that the sector has great potential, he also urged the government to stand by the affected-farmers.

Dr ABM Khaleduzzaman, DLS assistant director (farm), said some 0.18 million vaccines were given to cattle and 0.52 million vaccines to poultry birds and ducks in the flood-affected districts.

Some 40.155 tonnes of granular feed and 1.5 tonnes of green grass were distributed among the flood-affected farmers in those districts, he added.

"Some 127 vet medical teams are now working in those areas across the country to provide treatment to the affected-cattle," he said.

Bangladesh Poultry Industries Central Council (BPICC) and DLS were providing 100 tonnes of animal feed to heavily affected sub-districts in those districts.