RAJSHAHI, Sept 12, 2020 (BSS)- Veterinary experts and scientists emphasized
the need for hygienic lamb slaughter houses for safe meat for the sake of
protecting the public health from various infectious diseases including the
fatal Covid-19.
They observed that many of the existing slaughter houses are very
vulnerable of spreading various communicable diseases. So, utmost emphasis
should be given on transforming the slaughtering houses into hygienic ones.
They put the stress while taking part in a virtual meeting titled
“Importance and context of model lamb slaughterhouse” on Friday night.
Bangladesh Livestock Society (BLS) and the Department of Veterinary and
Animal Sciences in Rajshahi University jointly hosted the meeting on behalf
of the ‘Validation of Good Practices of On-farm Lamb Production System’
project with financial support of Krishi Gobeshona Foundation (KGF).
KGF Programme Specialist Dr Mehedi Hossian, Professor Shahiduzzaman from
the Department of Parasitology in Bangladesh Agricultural University,
Managing Director of Chicks and Feed Ehsanul Haque, Prof Tariqul Islam from
the Department of Fisheries in Rajshahi University and Dr Syed Nuruddin from
Norway addressed the meeting as resources persons.
Chief Investigator of the project and BLS President Prof Jalal Uddin Sarder
and PhD Research Fellow Ismail Haque also spoke, while Co-investigator of the
project and BLS General Secretary Dr Hemayetul Islam moderated it.
Dr Mehedi Hassan observed that a large-scale promotion of commercial sheep
farming can be the effective means of meeting the existing protein demands as
it can contribute to the increased production of woolen fibre and improvement
of rural livelihood as well.
He said rearing and conserving of native sheep should be given priority for
poverty reduction and creating employment opportunities.
The experts have urged the rural people to start sheep farming commercially
using modern methods and technology to meet nutritional demand and produce
valuable wool to help develop woolen textile in the country.
Meanwhile, a model sheep slaughterhouse and lamb meat sale centre has also
been opened for the first time in the city for the sake of public interests
with initiative of the project.
Besides, 59 farmers were given 600 lambs besides imparting them with need-
based training on how to rear those in three categories in Paba and Godagari
upazilas in Rajshahi district.
The project intends to boost the supply of high nutritious lamb meat with
improving the living and livelihood condition of the marginal farmers through
rearing lambs.