Dairy farmers of the country believe that Bangladesh can be self-sufficient in meat and milk production if the government takes a few measures including restricting cattle influx from neighbouring countries and applying 100 percent import duty on bulk field milk.
However, they opined that various initiatives of the government have already encouraged many youths across the country to set up dairy farms but some more measures are needed to boost meat and milk production.
“Yes, there are other challenges we are to face regularly. We urge the government to discourage the import of powder milk and meat,” Md Shah Emran, Director General of Bangladesh Dairy Farmers' Association (BDFA) told Bangladesh Post.
On behalf of the association, Emran claimed that the bulk field milk, which is mixed with vegetable fat and imported in HS code, is mainly responsible for the destruction of the country's dairy industry. He told that the import duty on the bulk field milk has not been increased in the budget for the year 2020-21.
“We urged the government to impose anti-dumping tax and increase import duty by 100 percent in import of bulk field milk to safeguard the country’s dairy industry”, he added.
He said if the government offers long-term tax rebate facilities, withdraw tariffs in sector-related machinery import, ensure restriction on meat import along with other facilities, more private investment can be attracted in this sector.
In his proposal, he sought more facilities for the betterment of the industry which includes withdrawal of import duty on animal feed, making arrangements for distribution of animal feed in every upazila, bringing utilities and land rent from commercial to the agricultural sector, giving income tax rebate for 20 years to encourage private investment, helping to establish powdered milk plant in the country, taking collective measures to collect and marketing of milk from dairy farmers, considering last 10 years inflation fixing milk price to Tk 60 per litre for dairy farmers, withdrawal of tariff on animal feed and modern machine import, considering the virus pandemic situation providing cash incentives and loan to farmers, and stopping meat import from foreign countries.
