Fisheries and livestock adviser Farida Akhter on Friday called for increasing buffalo production in the country to meet the demand of protein through its meat and milk.
鈥極nce buffaloes were considered agricultural animals and now those animals are meeting our protein demand through its meat and milk,鈥� she said while addressing the opening ceremony of the 11th Asian Buffalo Congress-2024 at BCDM in Savar as chief guest.
Mentioning the importance of buffalo, the adviser said that Bangladesh was a small country but its biodiversity was very rich and diverse. Buffalo-rearing was important to the rural economy and women could play a supporting role in this regard for milk and meat production.
She mentioned that buffalo milk-curd was being made by rearing thousands of buffaloes in Bhola.
As the speakers, in the congress, called for necessary measures to increase buffalo production in Southeast Asia, especially in Bangladesh, the adviser said that in the past, less importance was given to buffalo production at the policy level.
She said that the ministry of fisheries and livestock would take various steps for increasing the production of buffalo in coming days.
Mentioning the impact of climate change on livestock, including buffalo, as one of the major challenges, she said that buffalo rearing could contribute to carbon dioxide reduction through various methods.
Speakers said that the developed world improved reproductive performance and milk production of buffaloes.
Referring to buffalo farming in Italy as a very successful and profitable sector, the adviser said that there was considerable potential for buffalo farming in Bangladesh as well.
鈥楩ollowing the buffalo farming model of Italy, it is possible to make profit from buffalo rearing in Bangladesh,鈥� she added.
With Asian Buffalo Association president professor Omar Faruqi in chair, the event was attended, among others, by secretary of the ministry of fisheries and livestock Sayeed Mahmood Belal Haider, department of livestock services director general Mohammad Reajul Haque, Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute director general SM Jahangir Hossain and International Buffalo Federation general secretary Antonio Borghese as special guests.
