Cumilla faces shortage of sacrificial animals

The district is facing a shortage of 60,000 sacrificial animals this year.

Cumilla livestock officer Dr Nazrul Islam Nazrul hopes that animals from other districts would fill the deficit.

Currently, there are 2,57,000 animals in the markets against a demand of 3,15,000 ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha. According to the livestock office, a total of 3,11,112 animals were sacrificed in the district last year.

He said farmers and cattle rearers in Cumilla will get desired prices for their animals if the decision not to import cattle from India and Myanmar is implemented strictly.

Earlier in August, the Department of Livestock Services (DLS) said there are more than enough locally-reared cattle to meet the huge demand for sacrificial animals during the Eid.

DLS Director General Hiresh Ranjan Bhowmik told UNB that 5,77,416 commercial farms and farmers have around 1,17,88,563 sacrificial animals ready against a demand for 1,10,00,000.

“It’ll be a win-win situation for the cattle farmers and buyers as there’s a surplus stock of sacrificial animals while cattle inflow from India declined significantly,” he said.