The spectacular rise of animal protein industry

Five decades back, feeding the people was the number one priority for a newborn, war-ravaged Bangladesh. 

Economist Austin Robinson of University of Cambridge wrote in 1973 that he saw a very grim future for Bangladesh, with its population outgrowing the availability of food. 

Even if there was a green revolution, self-sufficiency in food would remain elusive because of rapidly reducing availability of arable land per family, he thought, making a frightening forecast, "Looking ahead to 2000, well within the adult life of those now starting work, one reaches figures which must almost inevitably imply 'misery', malnutrition and a consequently rising death rate."

Farmers proved those terrifying predictions wrong — rice production today has tripled since 1972. 

Bangladesh has won the fight against acute hunger and now moves towards a better diet, enriched with protein for a quality and healthy living. Another army of farmers are adding value to people's daily meals by supplying eggs, meat, milk and fish. 

Over the decades, there has been impressive growth in poultry, livestock and fisheries. Per head egg consumption reached 104 pieces a year from only four in 1971, meat to 136 grams per day now from only four grams. Milk production has grown by 22 times since independence. 

The big push came from the private sector, as companies like ACI, Pran, Kazi Farms, Bengal Meat, New Zealand Dairy, Baraka Farmyard and many more entered the agro-farming scene. 

Professor Robinson thought it would take 90 to 125 years for Bangladesh to reach the tolerable and desirable standard of income per head — $900 from $70 in 1973. 

Again, he was proved wrong. Bangladesh's economy grew faster and per capita income grew to $2,765 in 50 years!

Thanks to economic growth, people's purchasing capacity increased too. After ensuring rice — the staple — an average family can afford some animal protein, at least eggs, in their everyday menu.   Protein deficiency has reduced and life expectancy has risen to 72 from 52 years in 1972. 

Still, there remains a lot more to do to widen people's access to animal protein and keep prices affordable. 

Soaring inflation has forced people to compromise their menus. Studies show low and fixed income people have cut protein intake to have both ends met. The trend is alarming for the sector. Low consumption means low demand from farms, which will eventually lead to lower production. 

And prices will go up further in the next cycle of production. If production continues to dip, farmers will suffer business loss while consumers will still pay higher. This is a vicious cycle that benefits none. 

Owners of cattle, poultry and fish farms need to find a business strategy that helps them minimise the cost of production and keep prices of animal protein affordable for average consumers. They need to influence the government's policies to reduce their input costs and adopt advanced technologies for production, preservation and transportation for quality outputs. 

The animal protein industry can get another mileage from an intense collaboration between academia and industry. 

Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) has long been researching to save local fish species from extinction. Very recently, a team of BAU researchers have succeeded in genome sequencing of native Shing fish. This achievement has the potential to significantly increase the production of the pricey stinging catfish through monosex farming, like that of Tilapia, believes Professor Dr Taslima Khanam from the university's Fisheries Biology and Genetics Department, who led the research team.

Forward-looking farmers should turn these research findings into commercial reality and make a Shing revolution. If local fish species join Tilapia and Pangas in the average people's dish, if milk enters into the daily family menu like egg, Bangladesh will advance one step further toward a healthy diet. 
Availability of chicken has increased, but its price is still high. And beef and mutton are beyond reach of most of the consumers. Next efforts should be to bring these protein foods within reach of average people.