ZCZC
BSS-02
SHEEP-FARMERS-TRAINING (with picture)
Call to boost commercial sheep farming
RAJSHAHI, Aug 12, 2018 (BSS)- Academics and experts have urged the rural
people to boost commercial sheep farming to meet the nutritional demand
besides providing valuable wool for expediting the huge opportunity of
developing wool-based textile.
Wide-ranging promotion of commercial sheep farming can be effective
means of exploring the vast opportunity to boosting woolen fiber and
elevating rural livelihood and produce more meat and milk in addition to meet
the country’s nutrition demand.
The observation came at the closing and certificate-giving ceremony of a
sheep farming training course on Narkelbaria campus of Rajshahi University
(RU) here on Saturday.
RU’s Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (DVAS) and Krishi
Goveshona Foundation (KGF) jointly organized the training in association with
‘Validation of Good Practices of On-farm Lamb Production System’ project.
Some 65 people including 60 women from different villages under Paba and
Godagari upazilas in the district took part in the three-day training course
in three batches. Pro-vice-chancellors of RU Prof Ananda Kumar Saha and Prof
Chowdhury Jakaria addressed the session as guests of honour with chairman of
the department Prof SM Quamruzzaman in the chair.
Programme director (Livestock and Fisheries) of KGF Dr Kazi Komor Uddin,
Prof Abul Hashem from Department of Animal Science of Bangladesh Agricultural
University, dean of Agriculture Faculty at RU Prof Shaleha Jesmin and RU
Registrar Prof Abdul Bari also spoke. Three co-investigators of the project-
DVAS Professor Jalal Uddin Sarder and its Associate Professor Dr Akhtarul
Islam and Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Hemayetul Islam disseminated
their expertise on the issue.
Prof Ananda Shaha said quick economic growth of the region can be
possible through proper uses and development of livestock resources.
The issue of improvement and conservation of native sheep in society-
based and commercial farms should be given priority for the greater interest
of poverty reduction and self-employment through the best uses of enormous
opportunities of the sector. Prof Jalal Sarder told the meeting that the
scientists of Department of Livestock Services and the Bangladesh Livestock
Research Institute (BLRI) have developed and produced different types of
woolen fabrics and bed-sheet and suiting by using 30 per cent sheep wool, 30
per cent jute and 40 per cent cotton. “Demand for these products is huge in
local market and the same could be met by commercial sheep farming,” he said.
Currently, the country is producing 3,000 tonnes of wool from 34 lakh
sheep that are being used to make blanket, shawl, bed-sheet and some other
winter clothing.
BSS/AH/AKM 1012hrs