Staff Correspondent

Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter today called for increasing buffalo production in the country to meet the demand of protein through its meat and milk.

"Once buffaloes were considered agricultural animals and now those animals are meeting our protein demand through its meat and milk," she said while addressing the opening ceremony of the 11th Asian Buffalo Congress-2024 at BCDM in Savar this morning as the chief guest.

Mentioning the importance of buffalo, the adviser said Bangladesh is a small country but its biodiversity is very rich and diverse.

She said buffalo-rearing is important to the rural economy and women can play a supporting role in buffalo-rearing for milk and meat production.

She mentioned that buffalo milk-curd is being made by rearing thousands of buffaloes in Bhola district of the country.

As the speakers, in the congress, called for necessary measures to increase buffalo production in Southeast Asia, especially in Bangladesh, the adviser said that in the past, less importance was given to buffalo production at the policy level.

She said the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock will take various steps for increasing the production of buffalo in coming days.

Mentioning the impact of climate change on livestock, including buffalo, as one of the major challenges, she said buffalo rearing can contribute to carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction through various methods.

Speakers said the developed world improved reproductive performance and milk production of buffaloes.

Referring to buffalo farming in Italy as a very successful and profitable sector, the adviser said that there is considerable potential for buffalo farming in Bangladesh as well.

Following the buffalo farming model of Italy, it is possible to make profit from buffalo rearing in Bangladesh, she added.

With Asian Buffalo Association President Professor Omar Faruqi in the chair, the event was attended, among others, by Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Sayeed Mahmood Belal Haider, Department of Livestock Services Director General Dr.Mohammad Reajul Haque, Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute Director General SM Jahangir Hossain and International Buffalo Federation (IBF) General Secretary Antonio Borghese as special guests.