Large bull farming rising in Lakshmipur
Livestock farmers here have reared 800 bulls weighing 12 to 25 maund on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha
The farming of large-sized bulls has increased in Lakshmipur thanks to the establishment of commercial farms and the increase in artificial breeding.
As Eid-ul-Azha approaches, buyers are looking for cattle in farms across the district and found large-sized bulls, weighing 1,000 to 2,000 kg, whose maximum asking price is Tk40 lakh.
Livestock farmers and animal resource officials said due to the surge of commercial farms and increasing trend of artificial breeding and selection of foreign breeds, the district saw an unusual rise in rearing large-sized bulls.
According to the district's Department of Livestock Services, there are about 800 bulls weighing between 500 and 1000 kg in the district for the upcoming Eid. Some weigh 1000 to 2200 kg.
Despite it being unusual compared to other years, officials of the Department of Livestock Services say it is good news.
Livestock farmer Md Saiful Islam of Kamalnagar Upazila has a 27.50 maund (1100 kg) bull named Bahadur. He is asking Tk15 lakh for his bull.
Mohammad Ullah rears only six bulls at Bismillah Dairy Farm in Raipur Upazila. The farm's only large-sized bull named "King" weighs 57 maund (2200 kg). He wants to sell the bull at Dhaka's Gabtali cattle market at Tk40 lakh.
Livestock Farmer Belal Hossain in Sadar Upazila said the trend of rearing large bulls has increased in the district in the last 3-4 years. The fattened bulls are foreign breeds.
Chowdhury Dairy Farm in Ramganj Upazila reared three bulls weighing a total of 75 maund (3,500 kg). Farm owner Mahbub Rabbani sets Tk11-12 lakh as the asking price for each bull.
If the fattened bulls are not sold in the cattle market during Eid if they go to the meat market. Then the meat crisis in the country will be solved, livestock farmers said.
Lakshmipur Department of Livestock Services said farmers here fattened around 63,000 cattle, including 45,000 cows, on the occasion of Eid this year.
Regarding the rearing of large-sized bulls, Lakshmipur animal resources officer Dr Mosharraf Hossain said for the past few years, farmers have been enthusiastic about artificial breeding and rearing foreign breeds of bulls. In the coming years, large-sized bull production will increase greatly in Lakshmipur.