Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim said veterinary medical teams will work in the cattle markets ahead of Eid-ul-Azha aiming to prevent sick cattle from entering the market amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The minister said, “The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock will ensure that no diseased or unsuitable sacrificial cattle are sold. We have veterinary medical teams. They will monitor it. Medical teams will work in the cattle markets so that sick animals cannot come to the markets.”
The minister made the remark while connecting online from his official residence at Bailey Road in the capital as a special guest at the inauguration of sacrificial animals’ online cattle marketing platform 'DNCC Digital Haat' on Saturday At the same time, a monitoring team consisting of officials of the ministry will be formed. Measures will be taken to promote hygiene at the haats (markets), he pointed out.
The minister further insisted the number of cattle required for sacrifice is surplus in the country, so there will be no need to import a single animal from abroad.
This year 11.90 million cattle are available for sacrifice against the total demand for 11.20 million, according to Department of Livestock Services (DLS).
Some 11.78 million cattle were available for sacrifice last year against the total demand for 11.20 million, the DLS statistics showed.
A total of 4538,000 cows and buffaloes, 7,355,000 sheep and goats and 4,500 other animals like camel and 'dumba' are set to be sacrificed during this Eid, the DLS data showed.
Under the government's cow-fattening programme, these animals have been reared at 577,416 farms, according to official statistics.