The government would deploy veterinary surgeons at cattle markets in the capital to provide medical services to sacrificial animals and help check sale of artificially fattened cattle that are harmful to human health, officials said.
A section of unscrupulous traders/farmers allegedly uses harmful drugs to fatten cattle for making quick profits during the Eid season.
Veterinary experts said the process of fattening cattle through use of harmful drugs is 'unethical' and it has adverse health impact on cattle as well as human body if their meat is consumed.
The quick profit-mongering cattle traders are using cheap steroidal drugs like Oradexon, Decason, Dexamithson, Streron and Presdnisolon for fattening cattle.
The Fisheries and Livestock Act- 2010 prohibits use of steroids and harmful drugs for fattening cattle.
Ignoring the law, a section of farmers and cattle traders in many districts are using such drugs to make extra profits during the Eid-ul-Azha when millions of cattle will be sacrificed by the Muslims in the country, according to Veterinary Surgeons (VSs).
They said excessive use of medicines like Dexamethasone, Decason, Betamethasone and Paractin damages kidneys and intestines of cattle.
"Initially, we will deploy VSs at 11 cattle markets in the capital. Each of the market will have two VSs to provide medical services to the cattle," joint secretary (livestock) of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock M Ali Noor told the FE.
He said the VSs will examine 'suspected' cattle (artificially fattened cattle) and also provide medial treatment to the sick sacrificial animals at the cattle markets in the capital and other areas in the country.
If cattle are found to be unusually healthy, we will take stern action against the traders, he added.
He said the Ministry is going to hold a meeting at the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) auditorium at Agargaon in the capital tomorrow (Sunday) on cattle fattening and medical treatment for sacrificial animals at different cattle markets on the eve of the upcoming holy Eid-ul-Azha.
He said the government is helping the farmers to nurture cows (meat-fattening cows) through scientific method as prescribed by the Livestock Department.
The scientific method of cattle fattening is 'urea-molasses-straw' method which is a safe, healthy and scientific way to fatten cattle.
"The scientific method could help cow to increase 10 to 20 per cent more than their normal growth and it also ensures the quality of meat," Chief Veterinary Officer of the Central Veterinary Hospital Dr ABM Shahidullah told the FE.
It is estimated that around two million fattened cattle that are being nurtured following government prescribed method (beef-fattening) would be brought to the market for sale on the occasion of Eid.
The number of cattle slaughtered as sacrificial animals on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha has almost doubled over the last five years. Nearly 6.5 million cattle, including cows, buffaloes, goats and sheep are slaughtered during the Eid, according to Livestock Department's statistics.
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