| |
| |
|
April 23 : Expert Panel |
 |
| |
|
|
90
per cent farmers in Bangla depends on cattle
Hosanagara: About 90 per cent of farmers in Bangladesh
are dependent on cattle for their livelihood, said Bangladesh
veterinary expert Professor Bunion.
Participating in a panel discussion on comparative study
on Indigenous and Foreign breed cattle at Ramachandrapur
Math on Monday he said, nearly 24.5 millions of cattle
are distributed throughout the country. These are of multipurpose
in providing milk,draught, meat and dung as fuel and organic
fertilizer and strongly linked with the livelihood of
people.
About 90 per cent of cattle of Bangladesh are of non-descript
and indigenous in origin with low productivity compared
to other existing exotic breeds and their crosses, he
added. |
|
Cattle
among other livestock available in Bangladesh are the
most versatile
component in relation to existing integrated agricultural
farming system. They are well adapted in the tropical
harsh environment, have ability to maintain their body
condition on poor quality feed stuffs and are well resistant
to local diseases, Professor said. Adding, among the some
types of cattle in different region of the country like
Red Chittagong, Pabna, North Bengal Grey and Munshiganj
is far better producer than other in the existing low
input management system.
|
|
All of them are of Zebu type having developed hump and assumed that they have evolved in these areas over the country through natural selection and breeding among themselves for a long historic period and farmer's interest.
Breeding tract of these cattle are characteristics and constitute about 90 per cent of the indigenous cattle providing wide range of diversity and are of main source of draught power for the subsistence farming system of the country, he said.
Red Chittagond cattle found in the Chittagond district having distinct identity with attractive red body colour,delicious milk and meat compared to other indigenous make them top preferred in that region. In terms of big body size and good milk production Pabna type cattle are found in the northern low-lying basins, he added.
|
|
North
Bengal Grey found scatterdly in the northern district
of Bangladesh. They possess good body size and some
draft features and famous as a cart bullock in the market.
Another improved variety of cattle ie., Munshiganj type
mostly of creamy to dull pinkish coat colour with milk
type body conformation and have great demand as milk
cow in the surrounding regions, he said.
Since1930's several attempts were
taken scatterly to increase their production potential
through infusion of foreign genes for different periods
but no remarkable achievements were attached, he added.
|
 |
The major constraints to
cattle development in the country are lack of quality
breeds, lack of feeds and their cost, disease outbreaks,
lack of effective vaccines and
uncontrolled/fluctuating market prices. Decline in falllow/grazing
land and human population pressure are the main reasons
for slow growth of cattle, he said.
With rapid expansion of crossbreeding and urbanization,
the indigenous cattle genetic resources of Bangladesh
are under threat of extinction. Conservation of promising
indigenous cattle genetic resources through utilization
following pure breeding programme and farmer managed in-situ
approaches may be an appropriate approach for cattle development
and rural livelihood enhancement in Bangladesh, he added.
 |
Christians are not against
cows
Participating in the panel discussion Stany Disoza
said that cow deserves great respect in holy epic,
Bible and Christians are not against the cow.
While lauding the Raghaveshwar Swamiji for his
initiative in the protection of cow he said, cow
is the second mother for Esu Christ after Mariyamma.
Experts in the field of study of cow like Subodh
Kumar from Delhi, Mohammed Afzal, A K F H Banitan
and others presented their papers in the discussion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
