Khulna set for eid cattle surplus of 3.67 lakh
Khulna division is set to meet the full demand for sacrificial animals this Eid-ul-Azha, with a surplus of around 3.67 lakh cattle expected to help stabilise market prices, according to the Department of Livestock Services.
Director of the Department of Livestock Services (DoLS), Khulna, Dr Mohammad Golam Haider told that the demand for sacrificial animals this year is around 10.79 lakh, while last year it stood at about 8.29 lakh, reports BSS.
He said a total of 14.46 lakh animals have been prepared this year, ensuring 100 percent fulfilment of local demand and leaving a surplus of 3,67,360 animals, which is a 74.61 percent rise compared to demand.
He further said that due to sufficient supply, prices of sacrificial animals are likely to decrease ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.
Dr Haider added that large numbers of sacrificial animals will be brought to makeshift cattle markets across 10 districts of the division, including Khulna city.
and there will be no need to import cattle from other countries to meet local demand.
According to DoLS sources, the total 14,46,809 sacrificial animals include oxen 1,30,427, bullocks 32,027, cows 82,302, buffaloes 4,089, goats 8,51,370, sheep 51,173, and others 216.
A total of 1,38,054 farms across 10 districts have contributed significantly to livestock production, while many households have also been raising cattle at home.
Farmers, however, said feed costs have increased this year, which may slightly raise animal prices. Farm owner Sahabuddin Ahmed from Samantasena village in Rupsha upazila said rising feed costs could impact pricing.
Md Didarul Alam, a farmer from Dumuria upazila, said he has been raising seven native cattle for about a year using grass, maize, wheat bran, and local feed, keeping the animals healthy and attractive to buyers.
Another farmer, Liakat Hossain, said he continued his family’s livestock tradition and expanded into commercial farming with his brothers on eight kathas of land in Tipna village, now raising both cattle and local and foreign goats.
Meanwhile, cattle markets have started appearing across all districts of Khulna division, although full-scale trading is expected to begin within a week, according to traders and leaseholders.
In rural areas, many households are still raising one or two indigenous cattle, while commercial farms are focusing on fattening breeds such as Sahiwal and Sindhi cattle for Eid purposes.
After meeting local demand, a significant number of animals will be supplied to other parts of the country, as farmers continue caring for livestock at both household and commercial levels ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.
