Sharp fall in Indian cow supply

Local cattle traders have been witnessing mad rush for orders as demand for indigenous variety of beef experienced a massive leap in the market following India's latest move to stop outflow of cattle to Bangladesh.
The price of beef surged to an all time high of Tk360-380 per kg in March following a massive decline in imported Indian cows and disruption in transportation caused by the blockade called on by the country's major opposition parties.
Dhaka Metropolitan Meat Traders Association president Sheikh Md Barek told the FE that the beef and mutton prices increased by 25-30 per cent compared to that of January due to a rise of animal prices.
He said a local cow, from which you can get 70-75 kilograms of meat, is selling at 22000-23000 when you can get a same wieghing Indian cow at Tk13000-14000.
"But, supply of Indian cow has declined significantly for which we are depending on local animals," he said.   
The price of beef is now marking an all time high, according to Trading Corporation of Bangladesh and Department of Agricultural Marketing data.
According to the Bangladesh Raw Hide Merchants Association and Tanners Association of Bangladesh, nearly 15.0 million cattle are slaughtered in the country annually of which 10.0 million are cows.
Bangladesh imports 3.0-3.5 million pieces of Indian cows annually of which 2.0 million cows are brought on the eve of Eid-ul-Azha festival, according to the two leather related associations.
Both Indian and Bangladeshi leather industries largely depend on the raw hide extracted (collected) from Indian cow, leather industries said.   
Cattle import has been witnessing a gradual plunge since the BJP came into power in the neighbouring country last year.
The BJP led government is on a move to ban cow slaughtering across India and it also is taking strict action on illegal cow trading between Indian and Bangladesh.
BJP leader and home minister of India Rajnath Singh few days back at a programme told the border security forces of India (BSF) to strictly handle any move of entering cow into Bangladesh.
According to Indian media news, he also told his border forces: "You further intensify your vigil so that the cattle smuggling stops completely and prices of beef in Bangladesh escalates 70 to 80 per cent more so that people of Bangladesh give up eating beef".
However, decline in import from India comes as a blessing for the local cattle farmers.
Traders concerned said they are in a battle of orders to supply animals to the meat traders, restaurants and in functions.
Traders in Sirajganj, Pabna, Narsindi, Kustia, Rangpur, Chuadanaga and elsewhere in the country are passing a heyday for flood of orders.
Md Hannan Ali, a trader from Shahjatpur, Sirajganj came to Gabtoli Cattle Market, the permanent cattle haat in the city on Sunday.
Talking to the FE he said that an indigenous cow, weighting 90-100 kilogram is selling at Tk27000 to 30,000 now which was Tk18000-20000 three months back. The same weighing Indian cow price is Tk15000, he said.
Mr Hannan sold twelve cows and ox on the day and made profit of Tk0.1 million.  
Abdul Halim, a cattle farmer at Mirzar Char union under Raipura Upazila in Narsindi told the FE that they usually supply cow before Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha at higher prices by selling quality local cows.
The recent hike in cow prices has lured many of the cattle farms in his territory, he said.
"I've sold three oxes weighing 160-165 kg per animal at Tk 45000 each recently to a meat trader at Keraniganj, the price is almost similar to that of Eid days," he said.
He said he made a Tk15000 net profit from selling per animal.
"Four traders from Dhaka had contacted me so far for giving quality cows, but I have no capacity to deliver any cow in next three months," he said.
However, Khalilur Rahman, a meat trader told the FE that Indian cow import will begin to rise ultimately on the eve of two Eids when traders in Indian side will be desperate to make mind-boggling profits.
"The BSF will also start to forget Rajnath's (Indian home minister) 'Raj Aggya' (king's order) then," he said jokingly.
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