Rajshahi district, particularly its char and village areas, is witnessing a remarkable rise in milk and meat production, making the region self-reliant in these essential commodities.
According to the district livestock office, Rajshahi produced 5.8 lakh tonnes of milk this year, meeting the demand of the district. The number of milk-producing cows has reached around three lakh. In contrast, last year, the district produced 5.5 lakh tonnes of milk against a demand of 5.8 lakh tonnes.
The char areas under Godagari, Paba, and Bagha Upazilas have emerged as profitable zones for rearing and fattening domestic animals, including cattle, buffalo, and sheep.
Shafiqul Islam, a cattle farm owner in Char Khidirpur, Paba Upazila, noted the increasing cattle rearing due to rising milk and meat prices in recent years. This trend has significantly boosted animal protein production across the division.
Production figures have seen a substantial increase from the 2009-2010 financial year (FY) to the 2021-2022 FY. Milk production rose from 4.44 lakh tonnes to 29.69 lakh tonnes, meat production from 3.41 lakh tonnes to 17.52 lakh tonnes, and egg production from 85.09 crore to 450.77 crore.
Dr. Abdul Hai Sarker, Divisional Director of the Department of Livestock Services (DLS), emphasized their mission to ensure safe, adequate, and quality animal proteins for all. The goal is to meet the existing demands through enhanced production, productivity, and value addition of animal proteins.
Several upazilas have become prominent milk-producing regions, including Shahzadpur, Sadar, Ullapara, and Belkuchi in Sirajganj; Santhia, Bera, Faridpur, and Bhangura in Pabna; Gabtoli and Sherpur in Bogura; and Paba and Boalia in Rajshahi. Similarly, upazilas like Santhia, Bera, and Ishwardi in Pabna; Shahjadpur and Ullapara in Sirajganj; and Sherpur, Gabtoli, and Dhunat in Bogura have become major meat-producing areas.
The division, consisting of eight districts, hosts 146 milk chilling plants, 890 milk processing factories, 14 milk processing plants, 39 feed meal factories, 50 feed premix factories, and two meat processing plants.
The livestock sector in Rajshahi includes over 77.90 lakh cattle, 1.21 lakh buffalo, 80.55 lakh goats, 12.20 lakh sheep, 7.25 crore chickens, 94.22 lakh ducks, 27.62 lakh pigeons, 4.03 lakh koels, and 1.29 lakh turkeys.
The Livestock and Dairy Development Project has provided incentives worth approximately Taka 151.55 crore to around 1.33 lakh marginalized farmers. Additionally, 62,862 farmers received training, while 18,660 received vaccines and 42,896 were given deworming tablets.
Many marginalized households have improved their living conditions through sheep rearing, particularly in the Barind tract. Abdul Mannan, a resident of Mollapara village in Godagari Upazila, has become self-reliant through sheep farming, eradicating his poverty and enhancing his social status. Habiba Khatun, another farmer in Rajabari, Godagari Upazila, has become a role model in sheep farming.
Goat fattening has also gained popularity, with many families becoming self-reliant through this venture. Sohel Rana and his wife Rima Khatun, graduates from Daulatpur village, Bagmara Upazila, started goat rearing after failing to secure government jobs. Their venture has flourished over the past five years.
Ashraful Islam of Buzrukula village in Bagmara Upazila has become an icon for economic emancipation through duck farming. He owns around 1,500 ducks, including 1,000 egg-laying ones, generating an average annual income of Taka 15 lakh.
Professor Jalal Uddin Sarder of Rajshahi University’s Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences emphasized the importance of uplifting the livestock sector for food security, self-employment, and poverty reduction.
