Manikganj cattle farmers lose Tk3.5cr in floods

Two phases of floods inundated around 375 hectares of agricultural land and submerged thousands of houses in seven upazilas of Manikganj district this year.

Although the people in affected areas took shelter, it was difficult for commercial cattle farmers to find shelter for their animals. 

According to the district livestock office, there are 16,563 cattle farmers in Manikganj. Of them, 269 have been affected by the floods this season.

At that time, 3,575 cattle were affected by various diseases. Besides, the floods also damaged hay, grass, grain and even the sheds for the livestock. The estimated financial loss is around Tk3.67 crore.

Among the cattle affected by various diseases during the floods were 185 cows, 20 goats and five sheep in Manikganj Sadar Upazila; 85 cows, 120 goats, 60 sheep in Shibaloy Upazila; 501 cows, 350 goats, 70 sheep in Ghior Upazila; 382 cows, 570 goats and 210 sheep in Saturia Upazila.

Moreover, there were 30 cows, 100 goats and 20 sheep in Singair Upazila, 75 cows, 52 goats and 210 sheep in Harirampur Upazila, while 400 cows and 150 goats were affected by the flood waters in Daulatpur Upazila.

Sources at the relief and disaster management branch of the district said the first phase of floods in the district started on June 27 and ended on July 7. The second phase started on July 11 and ended on August 11.

Manikganj Friends Dairy Farm Director Md Mohinur Rahman said, "My cattle farm in the Manikganj municipality area has more than a hundred cattle of different sizes. So, I sowed grass in about 3.21 hectares of land in the surrounding areas."

He continued, "But all the grass was damaged because of the flood. So, I am feeding hay and grain to the cattle."  

Moinal Mia, a small cattle farmer in Saturia, said he has a farm consisting of 10 cows of different sizes.

As all the grass ─ that he sowed to feed his cattle ─ has been destroyed by floods, he is relying on husk to feed his cattle. Earlier, the price of husk was Tk12 per kilogram but now it is Tk15, he said. 

"I have lost around Tk1 lakh due to the floods as I had to buy cattle feed at a high price," he said. 

Abul Hossain, a cattle farmer from Dhankora union in Saturia, said he kept cows at a neighbour's house as water flooded his cowshed.

"A cow and a calf fell ill there, and I had to take support from a veterinary. The treatment cost me about Tk4,000," he said. 

Sattar Mollah of Selimpur village in Lechhraganj union of Harirampur Upazila said most of the houses in the village were submerged in the Padma water.

He had four cows but he sold all of them as the flood water level rose around six feet in the cowshed.

"Later, when the flood waters receded, the cowshed collapsed. The loss is around Tk50,000," he added.

Abdul Majid, director of Afaz Agricultural Farm in Daulatpur Upazila, said he had 50 cattle on his farm.

"I was forced to sell 40 of them as the farm and the surrounding area were submerged in the floodwaters. The loss is at least Tk4 lakh. The cattle sheds were also destroyed," he said.

Dr Mahbubul Islam, district livestock officer in Manikganj, said, a list of flood-affected farmers has been sent to higher authorities.

"There are plans to provide incentives to these farmers to cover their losses," he said.