Sirajganj farmers expect to sell cattle worth Tk3,000cr

The holy Eid-ul-Azha has started knocking on the door. Farmers of Sirajganj district are busy in feeding and caring for their cattle like cows, oxen, calves, buffaloes, goats and sheep as they have prepared those sacrificial animals in a completely natural way.

The District Livestock Department has said that there is a possibility of selling animals worth Tk 3,000 crore during Eid-ul-Azha. Farmers have sought the government's attention to prevent the import of cattle from outside the country.

According to sources from the District Livestock Office, there are about 33,000 small and large livestock farms in the district's 9 upazilas. About 10,000 farmers of these farms are preparing their livestock for Eid-ul-Azha.

This year, 655,904 cattle have been prepared for Qurbani in the district. These animals include 184,800 bulls, about 400,000 goats, 3,875 buffaloes, and 67,303 sheep.

After meeting the district's needs, the surplus cattle will be sold in various parts of the country, including Dhaka, Chattogram, and Sylhet. Basically, the traders will buy animals directly from farmers' homes and livestock markets.

Altab, a cattle trader who came to buy cows at Ratankandi Hat in Sadar Upazila of Sirajganj, said, "Traders consider it safer to transport sacrificial cows by river than by road."

Abul Kalam, a cattle trader at Potajia Hat in Shahjadpur, said that traders take cattle and goats to various markets in Dhaka and Narayanganj by boat. But temporary markets are set up at various places and a group of people force the animals off the boats and sell them there. This often results losses.

Nazmul Islam Khan, owner of Khan Agro Farm located in Ranigram of the municipality, said that currently, more than a hundred original bulls, including Fijian and Sahiwal, are being fattened on our farm following natural methods. If cattle prices are good in the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha markets, cattle farmers will survive.

Sirajganj District Livestock Officer Dr. AKM Anwarul Haque said that the number of cattle for qurbani in the district this time is 655,904 There is a local demand of 259,241. The remaining 3,96,663 animals will be taken to different parts of the country. The market value of these surplus is about Tk3,000cr.

Tangail Region Naval Police Superintendent Md. Sohel Rana said that along with regular patrols on the river, extensive preparations have been made to ensure security.