Media gatekeepers, nutritionists and poultry industry leaders at a discussion on Thursday highlighted the mass media's role in making people aware of animal protein deficiency.
Since protein intake per person is below the standard level, they say, the affordable animal protein can fulfil the deficiency in order to build a healthy Bangladesh and intellectual society.
The observations were made at a view-exchange meeting with the media, hosted by the Bangladesh Poultry Industries Central Council (BPICC) with support from the US Soybean Export Council (USSEC) at a city hotel.
Prof Dr Khaleda Islam of the Institute of Nutrition and Food Science at Dhaka University presented a keynote.
She says animal protein is better than the protein produced from plants.
There are myths and misconceptions about poultry egg and broiler meat which are a bar to increasing animal protein intake in Bangladesh, Prof Khaleda explains.
"Although every adult person needs some 1.0 gram protein for per kilogram of body weight, most Bangladeshis have had lesser than the standard level."
She says, "People suffer from different diseases for protein deficiencies. In our country, child mortality up to one year age is higher for the same reason."
"Adolescent boys and girls, and pregnant mothers should consume more protein, especially animal protein, to avoid sad incidences," according to Prof Khaleda.
Local media gatekeepers said there were propaganda, misinformation and disinformation against poultry industry which have to be checked by the poultry leaders with the help of the media.
They urged the poultry industry people to introduce more tasty poultry meat which would facilitate boosting protein consumption in Bangladesh.
BPICC president Moshiur Rahman said egg and chicken production has reduced due of coronavirus pandemic. And production costs are up for a rise in prices of raw materials globally.
Ihtesham B Shahjahan, president of Feed Industries Association (FIAB), says poultry, dairy and fisheries industries are moving forward, meeting local demand and, in some cases, earning foreign currencies.
FIAB secretary Md Ahsanuzzaman said, "We shouldn't export soybean meal as we are getting 75-80 per cent of it from local industry. We should rather concentrate on exporting value-added products."
Ajker Patrika editor Prof Golam Rahman moderated the programme with Mr Moshiur in the chair.
Jugantor editor Saiful Alam, daily sun editor Enamul Hoque Chowdhury, TV Today editor-in-chief Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul and Dipto TV head of news Ibrahim Azad, among other senior journalists from different national media outlets, attended the event.
