Char cattle traders target Eid for high profits

RANGPUR, Aug 13 (BSS): Thousands of people living in the remote char areas of ten north-western riverine districts are expecting better profits through selling their locally reared sacrificial animals before the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha festival.
Prices of cattle have increased by about 40 per cent in the local markets in recent times.
As demand for cows generally shoots up before the Eid-ul-Azha festival every year, char people are expecting to earn huge profits this time by selling their sacrificial animals.
They are now taking special care of their bullocks, calves, cows, oxen, buffaloes, sheep and goats and fattening those to get better prices than any time in the past.
Agriculture and Environment Coordinator of RDRS Bangladesh Mamunur Rashid said animal husbandry sector has been expanding fast on the char areas in recent years, bringing fortune to the extremely poor people.
The success has been achieved by the char people following effective implementation of the comprehensive Chars Livelihoods Programme (CLP) by a number of NGOs as partner organisations since 2004.
Thousands of poor char people have achieved self-reliance through animal husbandry along with conducting other income generation activities with CLP assistance though they struggled for survival even a decade ago, he said.
Project Manager of CLP of RDRS Bangladesh for Chilmari upazila in Kurigram Farzan Ahmed said poor char people have successfully explored the prospective animal husbandry sector in recent years with the CLP assistance.
Under the comprehensive CLP activities, the char people were assisted first to escape floods through raising plinths and achieve self-reliance by income generations, including animal husbandry, amid adverse situations, he said.
Chilmari upazila chairman Shawkat Ali Sarker, Bir Bikram, said the CLP has become one of the most effective programmes to improve livelihoods of the extremely poor char people through animal husbandry and other income generation activities.
Many of the char families have been rearing and fattening cows commercially and earning huge profits every year after meeting their expenses for living, nutritional demand and education costs of their schoolchildren.
"The animal husbandry sector has been flourishing the char economy and improving livelihoods and increasing milk production following huge production of grass in vast char areas," he said.
Talking to the news agency, CLP beneficiaries Lal Banu, Ayesha Khatun, Delwara Begum, Rasheda Begum, Anjuara Begum, Minara Khatun, Mamtaz Begum, Sajeda Begum and many others of different char villages narrated success stories.
"We are taking special care of our bulls now to sell those at rates between Tk 70,000 and 80,000 in place of Tk 35,000 and 50,000 last year depending on their sizes in the local markets before Eid-ul-Azha," one of the beneficiaries hoped.
Beneficiaries Sahera Begum, Aklima Khatun, Halima Begum, Rahela Khatun and Shabana Begum said they expect to sell their eight bulls at Tk 80,000 each, though they bought those two years back at Tk 20,000 each.
Mamtaz Ali and his wife Jahura Khatun of Char Boilmondiarkhata village said they bought six sheep last year at Tk 4,500 and are expecting to sell those before Eid-ul-Azha at Tk 20,000.
Each of Hazera Bibi, Momena Khatun and Tomiz Uddin are expecting to sell 10 goats at Tk 80,000 to 100,000 before Eid-ul-Azha after buying those at Tk 38,000 a year back.
Livelihoods Coordinator of CLP Dr. Mahbub Alam said the animal husbandry sector is expanding fast following implementation of the multi-dimensional CLP activities by local NGOs in the char areas.
UK Department for International Development, Australian Agency for International Development and the government of Bangladesh have been funding the project.