The government is to undertake a project involving Tk 123 crore, titled ‘Poultry Research and Strengthening Development’, to develop the country’s poultry industry.
The livestock and fisheries ministry will implement the project to bring the poultry sector from its farming to marketing under a proper monitoring so that consumers in general can get safe and hygienic poultry meat and eggs. িPoultry industry has been making important contributions to the country’s economic development. The best practice in poultry farming is very important for sound public health. So, there is no other way but to bring the sector under close monitoring and supervision. Planning Commission sources said, the project will likely be placed before the next meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council. If it gets the ECNEC nod, Livestock Research Institute will implement the project from December 2019 to 2023. According to livestock and fisheries ministry data, the poultry sector contributes 2.4 percent to the national economy. Profitable, sustainable and environment- friendly poultry technology could secure long-term food security through fulfilling the demand for protein, experts opined. According to a research, livestock and poultry production is significantly contributing to the country’s economy amid several limitations like reducing arable land, drought, illiteracy, poverty and so on. As per Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations estimation, livestock contributes around 70 percent to the development of livelihood of the country’s marginal and landless rural people. The project proposal says that the poultry farming turned into a commercial enterprise from an agrarian move over the past 20-25 years.
Currently, there are 23.93 million cows, 1.47 million buffaloes, 25.93 million goats, 3.4 million sheep, and 329.2 million chickens in the country. The sector is growing 3.54 percent annually making its position stronger to the GDP. In the last decade, the production of meat and eggs increased by 142.3 percent and 106.9 percent respectively. Besides, the production of milk also increased 42.5 percent simultaneously during that period. According to nutritionists, an adult person needs to consume minimum 104 eggs a year, but on an average, gets 95 pieces in the country. Besides, an adult person needs to consume 120 grams of meat daily while on an average, consumes 102.6 grams. In the fiscal 2016-17, some 7.15 tons of meat was produced in the country against the target of 7.14 tons. According to this estimation, the country is self-sufficient in meat production, but now has to focus on producing quality meat considering the people’s health issues. According to sources, the key issues of the project are- research on the development of species of poultry chicken, research on the production of safe meat and egg, training for 6,804 poultry farmers, training for concerned research etc. Planning commission’s acting member for agriculture, water resources, and rural establishment, Zakir Hossain said, in order to achieve an overall development in the poultry sector, the project is to be undertaken. “It will help increase quality meat, egg, and highly productive types of chicken to meet the country’s growing demand for protein,” he said.
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