Ctg faces crisis of sacrificial cattle

CHATTOGRAM, May 24: The greater Chattogram region is facing a shortage of sacrificial animals as local production is unlikely to meet the demand in the forthcoming Eid-ul-Azha.
Moreover, the import of sacrificial animals from the neighbouring countries, including India and Myanmar, has remained stopped for the past several years.
As a result, cattle prices are feared to rise in Chattogram with the Eid of sacrifice only weeks away.
According to the district livestock office, the demand for sacrificial cattle in Chattogram is 885,765 this time against the availability of 852,359, including cows and bulls, goats, sheep and goats.
As a result, there is a deficit of over 33,000 animals.
Sources said the deficit was due to less production in Chittagong last year as farmers were disinclined to do animal husbandry mainly due to a rise in feed prices.
As many as 526,475 cows and bulls, 71,365 buffaloes, 195,783 goats, 58,692 sheep and 88 other animals remained stocked in farms in 15 upazilas of the district and city areas.
Sandwip upazila has done the most animal husbandry in this year. There are 82,807 sacrificial animals in Sandwip, while the demand is 79,638 animals here.
Last year, the demand for cattle during Eid-ul-Azha was 879,713 sacrificial animals against 770,930 produced in different homes and farms in Chattogram.
So, there was a shortage of more than 1.0 lakh sacrificial animals last year's Eid in Chattogram.
However, although cattle production has increased slightly compared to last year's, the deficit still remains in the current year.
This shortfall may be a contributing factor behind a hike in the price of cattle this Eid, said sources at the livestock office.
According to district livestock officer Dr Md Nazrul Islam, still there are several weeks before Eid.
"Many farmers are still collecting cows for fattening purposes. We have collected data on households and farmers whose cattle are suitable for sale in the sacrificial market."He thinks there are shortages of an estimated 33,000 to 38,000 animals in Chattogram this time.

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