Staff Correspondent

Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter today called for increasing the production of buffalo as it can play an important role in the rural economy.

“Once upon a time buffalo was used for conventional agriculture works …but now our protein demand is continuously being fulfilled by its meat and milk”, she said.

The adviser made this comment while addressing the closing session of three-day 11th Asian Buffalo Congress-2024 at BCDM in Savar.

Highlighting the importance of the buffaloes, the adviser said although Bangladesh is a small country but its biodiversity is very much rich. “Buffalo rearing is important for the rural economy …Women are playing supporting role in producing milk and meat”, she added.

The adviser also mentioned that people are rearing herd of thousands buffaloes at the char areas of Bhola where tasty cards are being made from the milk in the district.

Responding to the call for taking necessary action for increasing the production of buffaloes in South-east Asian country like Bangladesh, Farida Akter said “The previous government had given less importance on rearing buffaloes.

The ministry of fisheries and livestock will take various steps on how to increase the buffalo production in the country”, the adviser added.

Noting that the implications of the climate change is one of the main challenges on the livestock including the buffaloes; the adviser said “The buffalo rearing can contribute in receding the carbon di-oxide gas emission through various processes.”

In Bangladesh, the total buffalo population is 1.464 million heads that is managed in household subsistence farming as well as extensive free range (Bathan) farming in saline coastal region that are used as a draught animal and partially for milk and meat production.

The buffalo plays a very important role in the SAARC countries which constitutes 73.77% of world buffalo population. The SAARC region has a great biodiversity of buffalo germplasm, including the world famous buffaloes Murrah and Nili-Ravi-renowned for high milk production potential.

The SAARC countries share 93.19% of world buffalo milk production where India and Pakistan contributes 67.99 and 23.96%, respectively.

About 71.4% of world buffalo meat is produced in South Asian countries. Although, buffalo is an essential part of livestock in SAARC countries, it has never been addressed in Bangladesh and always neglected despite their important role in the national economy.

With Prof. Omar Faruque in the chair, the meeting also was addressed, among others, by fisheries and livestock secretary Sayeed Mahmud Belal Haider, director general of the Department of livestock Services (DLS) Mohammad Reazul Karim, director general of Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI) Dr SM Jahangir Hossain, general secretary of International Buffalo Federation(IBF) Antonio Borghese and Secretary of Asian Buffalo Association Dr Ashok Kumar Balhara.