SYLHET, Nov 15: The Sylhet Government Poultry Farm failed to make headway even after 73 years of its establishment for reasons including bureaucratic tangles and others.
Besides, despite potentialities, the political leaders of the region didn't pay much attention to the state-run institution although there had been a huge demand for chicks from the common people, sources said.
The institution with all facilities by the Livestock Department was established in 1947 on a suitable site in the city's Tilagar area for meeting the nutrition demand of the people in the region.
But in absence of any poultry hatchery in the greater Syhet region as yet the authority has to bring one-day chicks from Chittagong for selling those after one and a half months or maximum two months. Although there is a larger demand, normally they bring 55,000 one-day chicks per year.
There is a good demand for chicks in the region, said an official. We can't supply more than 10 to 12 one-day chicks everyday to 400 people who demand more. Had there been a hatchery here we could supply several lakh chicks every month to meet the demand of the whole Sylhet division, he added, we had raised the demand for setting hatchery here time and again.
Contacted, Assistant Director of the Sylhet Poultry Farm Md. Mizanur Rahman told this correspondent yesterday a project proposal for establishment of a modern hatchery on the farm had been lying pending with the ministry for approval. Things remained pending due to pandemic, he added, we hope the higher authority would look into the matter soon as there is no hatchery in Sylhet division as yet.
Normally the huge space on the institution is used for youth training in addition to rearing of chicks, the official added.
The secretary, Ministry of Fisheries & Livestock Raonak Mahmud along with the DG Livestock and other officials paid a visit to the institution as well as in the division two weeks ago, he added.
A number of people like Ataur Rahman, a poultry trader of Golapganj upazila said establishment of a hatchery would raise the supply of chiks and egg production as well. It would also help us meet the nutrition demand in the region easily.
Besides, the authority would be able to produce larger amounts of eggs for local traders as well as meeting regional demands, he added.
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