The government is going to consider providing loan for shrimp farmers at a single-digit rate and introduce refinancing scheme for artificial insemination of cows for producing milk and meat that will help reduce poverty and ensure nutrition for all, officials said.
The moves of the government were revealed at a meeting with Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammed Sayedul Haque and the shrimp farmers and diary farms owners and representatives of different banks and financial institutions Monday at the conference room of the ministry.
The shrimp farmers and diary farms owners called upon the government to provide loans at a single-digit rate and logistic supports to help the sectors flourish.
The minister called upon the banks and financial institutions to provide loan at 5.0 per cent interest rate to the rural poor so that they could purchase cows that give milk and help them become economically self-reliant.
He said the government will do its best to help the shrimp and livestock sector of the country flourish.
Secretary of the Banks and Financial Institutions Division Dr Aslamul Alam said they will sit with the Bangladesh Bank (BB) soon to discuss the formulation of the 'refinancing scheme' for artificial insemination of cows for producing milk and meat.
BSS adds: Talking about the benefit of artificial insemination technology, the meeting said that country's total cattle-head population was 33.3 million, milk production was 0.94 million tonnes and meat production was around 0.67 million tonnes in 1990. In 2014, country's cattle-head population reached to 53.6 million, milk production at 6.09 million tonnes and meat production jumped to 4.52 million tonnes thanks to the artificial insemination technology, it was informed at the meeting.
Still the country has acute shortage of milk and meat-country's annual milk deficiency is around 7.93 million tonnes against total demand of 14.02 million tonnes. On the other hand, country's annual meat deficiency is around 2.21 million tonnes against the demand of 6.73 tonnes, which need to be increased by using the artificial insemination technology at the grass root level, the minister told the meeting.
He said once the refinancing scheme is formulated, then the 'Ekti Bari Ekti Khamar (One House One Farm) project of the government will help poor people purchase milk producing cows.
Now, Bangladesh is able to produce only 140 kgs of shrimp per acre of land while it's competitive countries like Vietnam, India and China are producing more than 3,000 kgs per acre by applying developed method in shrimp cultivation, the meeting mentioned.
President of Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association Md Amin Ullah called upon the government and banks to provide loans for implementing semi-intensive method for cultivating shrimp which will help boost export.
President of Bangladesh Dairy Farm Owners Association Mohammad Younus called upon the government to reduce the prices of animal feed and stop unnecessary harassment by the tax officials.
High officials of Bangladesh Bank (BB), Sonali Bank, Agrani Bank, Janata Bank, Rupali Bank, Bangladesh Krishi Bank, National Board of Revenue (NBR) and other financial institutions, among others, were present.
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