Buffalo not taken seriously in Bangladesh policy: Livestock adviser
Despite buffalo being a very important part of Bangladesh's social and cultural life, it is extremely neglected in government policies, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhtar said today (25 October).
Policymakers do not think much about the protection of buffalo in Bangladesh, she said while speaking as chief guest of the inaugural programme of the 11th Asian Buffalo Congress in Dhaka.
The Asian Buffalo Association (ABA), Bangladesh Buffalo Association (BBA), the Department of Livestock Services, Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute, and Bangladesh Agricultural University are jointly organising the three-day event.
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Researchers at the event presented papers stating that the number of buffalo in Bangladesh is decreasing due to the impact of climate change and various other reasons. They said buffalo farming at pastures (open chars) is becoming difficult due to increasing salinity and extreme weather events.
Referring to the issue Farida said "We did not take buffalo seriously into our policy. In some places buffalos are used for transportation. They are so much connected to the social life of people in those areas.
"Buffalo is not only important for food security and livelihood but it is also important as a social animal which is very much connected to our culture."
Speaking at the event, ABA President Prof Md Omar Faruque said, "We need livestock species which can survive in adverse environments. Moreover, we want to produce them at a low cost. Buffalo was one of the main resources for protein for coastal people but it was neglected for a long time. We have to adopt policies to increase buffalo farming."
Participants of the congress will present 85 scientific research papers covering various topics such as ecology, climate change, welfare, sustainability, breeding, adaptability, bio-technology, genomics, healthcare, management, and buffalo product processing.
These studies include research from Bangladesh, other Asian countries, Italy, and Canada.
