Shortage of farm animals in Comilla
Wednesday, 29 September 2010
A Correspondent
COMILLA, Sept 28: The farmers of all 16 Upazilas in the district have been facing acute shortage of farm animals posing a threat to cultivation.
About 40 to 50 per cent cultivators of the district have no bullock for tilling their lands while a section of poor farmers cultivate their lands by hiring bullocks at high price during the sowing season.
Many of the farmers cultivate their lands on share-crop basis as they are unable to purchase farm animals due to sharp rise in prices.
The price of a pair of bullocks ranges between TK. 20,000 to TK. 30,000. In most places farmers are compelled to use their milking-cows to plough lands, which lead to reduction in milk production.
There is no soft-window of banks to extend loans to farmers for purchasing bullocks. Cattle diseases break out in an epidemic from in different parts of the district every year taking a heavy toll.
Farmers in remote villages do not get service from veterinary doctors for treatment of their cattle. The veterinary surgeon stationed in thana town hardly goes out to village. The farmers also report non-availability of life saving medicines in veterinary hospitals.
As a result, the poor farmers have to buy necessary medicines from outside of the hospital at exorbitant price.
A section of meat traders defying government orders to observe meatless day slaughter a good number of farm animals on all days of the week causing shortage of bullocks.
Price of all kinds of fodder have shot up in local markets as most of the grazing fields of the district have been turned into cropland without considering the needs of the animal.
The poor farmers are compelled to sell their cattle-head for buying other essentials.
COMILLA, Sept 28: The farmers of all 16 Upazilas in the district have been facing acute shortage of farm animals posing a threat to cultivation.
About 40 to 50 per cent cultivators of the district have no bullock for tilling their lands while a section of poor farmers cultivate their lands by hiring bullocks at high price during the sowing season.
Many of the farmers cultivate their lands on share-crop basis as they are unable to purchase farm animals due to sharp rise in prices.
The price of a pair of bullocks ranges between TK. 20,000 to TK. 30,000. In most places farmers are compelled to use their milking-cows to plough lands, which lead to reduction in milk production.
There is no soft-window of banks to extend loans to farmers for purchasing bullocks. Cattle diseases break out in an epidemic from in different parts of the district every year taking a heavy toll.
Farmers in remote villages do not get service from veterinary doctors for treatment of their cattle. The veterinary surgeon stationed in thana town hardly goes out to village. The farmers also report non-availability of life saving medicines in veterinary hospitals.
As a result, the poor farmers have to buy necessary medicines from outside of the hospital at exorbitant price.
A section of meat traders defying government orders to observe meatless day slaughter a good number of farm animals on all days of the week causing shortage of bullocks.
Price of all kinds of fodder have shot up in local markets as most of the grazing fields of the district have been turned into cropland without considering the needs of the animal.
The poor farmers are compelled to sell their cattle-head for buying other essentials.