Sirajganj: Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter has emphasized the urgent requirement for a national policy to establish fair milk prices, as part of initiatives aimed at ensuring the sustainable growth of the country’s livestock and dairy sector. “Farmers are raising cows with great dedication, but they are not getting a fair price for milk,” she remarked at a small farmers’ gathering and exchange meeting held at the Potajia Dairy Producer Group under the Livestock and Dairy Development Project (LDDP) in Potajia village of Shahjadpur upazila this afternoon.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Farida Akhter pointed out that the escalating cost of cattle feed is compounding the challenges faced by farmers. She stressed the necessity of setting equitable prices and implementing concrete measures to curtail production costs as a sustainable solution to these issues. Farida Akhter also advocated for the adoption of grass-based livestock feed, encouraging farmers to increase grass cultivation to lessen reliance on commercial cattle feed. “Increasing grass cultivation will help reduce the overall cost of raising livestock,” she added.
Addressing animal health issues, she mentioned the initiation of vaccination campaigns against foot-and-mouth disease in Sirajganj and four other districts. “This initiative will protect farmers from major losses due to the disease and help improve livestock productivity,” she stated.
Earlier in the day, Farida Akhter conducted a meeting with officials of the Livestock Department in Pabna district, focusing on policy and field-level implementation matters. In the evening, she visited the Baghabari Ghat Dairy Factory and later toured Bengal Meat’s red meat processing facility, slaughterhouse, fish processing plant, and biogas plant located in Kashinathpur of Santhia upazila.