RAJSHAHI, June 27, 2021 (BSS) - Veterinary experts and academics underscored the need for promoting commercial sheep farming to reduce rural poverty alongside meeting protein demand of people.

  Wide-ranging promotion of commercial sheep farming can be effective means of boosting woolen fiber, elevating rural people's income, producing more meat and milk to meet the country's nutrition demand, they opined.

  They came up with the observation while unfolding a book on rearing sheep both domestic and commercially at the office conference hall of the Vice-chancellor of Rajshahi University (RU) on Saturday.

  The Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in RU hosted the ceremony on behalf of the 'Validation of Good Practices of On-farm Lamb Production System' project with financial support of Krishi Gobeshona Foundation (KGF).

  The project is being implemented in Paba and Godagari Upazila in the district with the main thrust of extending sheep rearing techniques among the villagers so that they can rear sheep profitably.

  Vice-chancellor-in-Charge of RU Prof Ananda Kumar Saha addressed the ceremony as the chief guest, while KGF Executive Director Dr Jibon Krishna Biswash and Chairman of the department Prof Ismat Ara Begum spoke as special guests with writer of the book Prof Jalal Uddin Sarder in the chair.

  In his remarks, Prof Ananda Kumar Saha said quick economic growth of the region can be possible through proper uses and development of livestock resources.

  Both commercial and non-commercial sheep farming should be given priority for poverty reduction and creating self-employment, he said.

  Dr Jibon Krishna Biswash 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.

  He 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.

  Besides, he said rearing and conserving of native sheep should be given priority for poverty reduction and creating employment opportunities.

  Prof Jalal Uddin Sarder told the meeting that a model sheep slaughterhouse and a lamb meat sale centre have been launched for the first time in the city.

  The project intends to boost the supply of nutritious lamb meat with improving the living and livelihood condition of the marginal farmers through rearing lambs.

  On behalf of the project, 59 farmers were given 600 lambs besides imparting them with need-based training on how to rear those in three categories in the two upazilas.