‘Local cattle sufficient for Eid demand’

Local produce of cattle and goats will be sufficient for the demand of sacrificial animals in Eid-ul-Azha this year, Bangladesh’s chief veterinary officer said today.

Over 115 lakh cattle and goats were bred domestically to meet the market demand, Dr Md Abdul Halim, chief veterinary officer at Central Veterinary Hospital (CVH), said.

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He was providing a panaroma view of the animal market at a programme amid general concerns over cattle supply in the backdrop of a raging flood in the north.

Last year, around 105 lakh animals were sacrificed, Vet Halim said.

This year 44.57 lakh cattle and 71 lakh goats and sheep have been bred, he said. Over 11 lakh animals have been fattened in a scientific process.

A five-member veterinary team will be deployed to check animal health at each of the 24 cattle markets under both north and south city corporations in Dhaka, he said.

The teams will be equipped with steroid-detecting devices.

Dr Halim was addressing a workshop organised by Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) held at Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIIS) auditorium.