Livestock Ministry seeks funds for Ramadan food subsidy

Staff Reporter :

In an effort to control the rising costs of essential commodities and alleviate the suffering of low-income groups, the Department of Livestock Services has requested funding from the Ministry of Finance to sell eggs, milk, beef, broiler chicken, and mutton at affordable prices across 25 locations in Dhaka during Ramadan.
The programme will run from the first day of
Ramadan until the 28th day. A letter, signed by Mohammad Abu Sufian, Acting Director-General of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, stated on Tuesday that the products would be sourced directly from farmers and sold to consumers. To facilitate this, 25 freezer vans will be hired to distribute the products across Dhaka.
The livestock ministry has sought an allocation of Tk 4.5 crore for the initial seven days to procure 3.5 lakh eggs, 35,000 litres of milk, 8,000 kg of broiler chicken, 30,000 kg of beef, and 1,000 kg of mutton, along with covering the costs of van rentals and workers’ wages.
Revenue generated from the sales will be deposited into the government treasury and subsequently used to purchase more products for the following week. After the completion of sales on the 28th day of Ramadan, the final revenue will be deposited in the government treasury, as outlined in the letter.

Recently, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhtar announced that eggs, milk, and meat would be made available at affordable prices during Ramadan.
In its letter to the Ministry of Finance requesting the necessary funds, the livestock ministry stated: “If, for any reason, this programme is halted, public dissatisfaction may arise, potentially damaging the government’s image.”