SYLHET, Jan 27: At least 550 dairy farm owners along with the common cattle rearers in Sunamganj district are facing immense suffering due to the shortage of manpower at the local livestock offices for long.
They are deprived of minimum consultancy service on minor problems and treatment of their livestock. Especially the dairy farms suffer often for not getting the livestock attendants in time.
A good number of dairy farms are there at the district town's Dhopakhali, Alipara, Sholaghar, Pathanbari, Kalipur, Shantibag and Hasonnagar areas. Besides these, there are dairy farms at different villages of Sadar upazila like Tahirpur, Biswambharpur, Dharmapasha, Jamalganj, Dakshin Sunamganj, Derai, Shulla, Chhatak, Doarabazar upazilas. The dairy farm owners often complain that they do not get the livestock staff or attendants during their need.
Owner of a dairy farm in the Dhopakhali area Md Mominul Haque said, "I failed to consult the field assistant (artificial inseminator) even at the time of cows' pregnancy or delivery. Some cows died due to complexities due to inefficient handling of the animals at the time of delivery."
Almost same is the situation in most of the uazilas like Derai, Shulla, Biswambharpur and Jamalganj, alleged a number of cow rearers.
Owner of another dairy farm at the town's Sholaghar area, Sujata Rani said, "We suffer much due to the staff shortage at the livestock office for years together. Things should be resolved for ensuring service to the dairy and poultry sector since these play important role in the rural economy."
Sunamganj district Dairy Farmers' Association President Md Nurul Alam said interest for setting up dairy farms is rising in the district. They often face troubles failing to get suggestion from the livestock officials. The staff shortage should be resolved immediately, he added.
An official at the district livestock office said only four upazila livestock officers are there against 11 upazilas while the rest seven have long been lying vacant. Only two office assistants (artificial inseminator) are at work at Tahirpur and Dharmapasha while the nine upazilas run vacant.
Against the 32 posts of VFA, only 11 are at work in the district. There are 536 dairy farms in the district which is emerging as a good sector for employment as well as income generation alongside supplying protein. But, most of the posts of union level staff remain vacant for long.
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