Ishwardi (Pabna) Correspondent :
The price of beef is increasing gradually. Farmers now spend 25 to 30 percent on cow feed every day. They have blamed cow-fodder millers and company owners. As compared to a year ago, the cost of animal husbandry has increased, farmers are facing losses due to not being able to sell milk and cows at a fair price. Traders fear that the price of sacrificial animals will increase due to the increase in the price of beef feed.
Amirul Islam, the owner of Tanmoy Dairy Farm, which won the national medal, said that the price of cow food has increased, but the price of milk has not increased.
Many workers’ wages have also increased. I am still surviving the problem, but I spend my days worrying about how long I will be able to survive.
The farmers highlighted the increase in the price of cattle food and said that the current market price of a bag of wheat husk weighing 37 kg is 2,200 taka.
Which was 1,800 taka last year and 1,500 taka two years ago. A bag of 74 kg of kheil now costs Tk 3,400-3,600, last year it was Tk 2,800. 50 kg of rice powder was Tk 900, last year it was Tk 700. Hay is now Tk 15 per kg, earlier it was Tk 10. Apart from this, the price of khesari and gram husk has increased by Tk 10 per kg. In the last 10 years, the price of beef has increased by 7-8 times. 2 years ago the salary of farm workers was 8 to 10 thousand taka.
Now no worker wants to work below Tk.15 thousand. Most of the farms are struggling due to rising cost of animal husbandry. Besides, farmers are not seeing much profit while paying extra interest on bank and NGO loans.
Sabina Khatun, a cow farmer of Fateh Mohammadpur MS Colony, said that every year I keep 3-4 cows in my house. The price of cow-fodder is high, so it is not profitable now.
It is not profitable to calculate the price of cow-fodder and the cost of rearing. However, besides housework, I am rearing cows. It has become a kind of hobby and habit.
The money that we spend on buying husks and skins throughout the year and selling the cow at the end of the year is very beneficial. But this time the profit is far away, I am afraid that the capital will be returned with the interest of the NGO.
Upazila Livestock Officer Dr. Nazmul Hossain said, those who are real farmers should plant high-quality grass to meet the demand of cattle fodder.
This will reduce the cost of cow feed. Besides, grass is very beneficial for cow’s health.
It will be very difficult for the farmers who depend only on cow feed like husk, chaff and hay to get profit from cow rearing.
