Flood-hit Bogura farmers affected by low price of cattle

Flood-affected dairy farmers from the chars in the Jamuna River in Bogura are not getting a good price for their livestock in the cattle markets before Eid-ul-Adha.

With most of the pastures of the flooded areas still underwater, the animals have become leaner due to food shortage. As a result, buyers are reluctant to offer a good price.

Though the district administration officials said they have allocated Tk3 lakh to the dairy farmers at the flood-hit areas for buying animal feed, and some NGOs distributed cattle feed, the farmers claimed that the help was not enough.

Bachchu Miah, 60, a farmer from the Pachgachi Char of Sariakandi upazila, said one of his cattle was estimated at Tk60,000 last year but he has found no buyer so far this year.

Md Abdus Samad, 50, from the same upazila, said he has seven cows but he will not sell them this season as the price is very low.

The authorities concerned feared that the low price would cause the farmers a huge loss.

“Many farmers did not sell their cattle at such low prices – they may face losing up to 20 percent,” said Md Shawkat Ali, chairman of Chaluabari Union Parishad of Sariakandi.

RDA and the Making Market Work for the Jamuna, Padma and Teesta Chars (M4C) project director Dr Md Abdur Rashid said there are about 9 lakh cows for sale at markets in 904 Char areas under 11 upazilas of different districts.

“But the prices of cows in the char areas have fallen badly due to food scarcity,” he said.

However, the picture is different in Bogura Sadar upazila as farmers there are getting good prices for their livestock because the fewer cows were imported from India this year.

The deputy director of Bogura Animal Husbandry Department, Dr Md Rafiqul Islam Talukder, said there are 3.88 lakh cows for sale in Bogura Eid market this year.