Milk scarcity worries experts

They suggest steps to tackle problem

1 October 2011, 18:00 PM

Mahbubur Rahman Khan

Customers crowd around a milkman at Mirpur Beribadh in the city, eager to get their share of milk. Traders like him buy milk in bulk from Birulia Bazar and retail at different city points.Photo: STAR

The problem of extreme shortage of milk in the country could have been solved domestically in a couple of years if the government had ensured adequate supplies of cattle feed and developed high yielding dairy breeds, say veterinary experts. According to scientists at Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI), at present the country can produce 2.36 million tonnes of milk against a demand of 13.15 million tonnes. This situation prevails because of a serious scarcity of feed and better quality grass. At the same time, some promising breeds of hybrid cattle, introduced in Bangladesh in 1975, have lost their production capability owing to imbalances in cross-breeding. Dr AK Fazlul Haque Bhuiyan, professor of Animal Breeding and Genetics at Bangladesh Agricultural University, is of the opinion that high yielding dairy breeds should be scientifically developed. The expert also suggested two ways to enhance milk production. "For marginal farmers, our native breed can be developed without changing its parent quality. If a local cow is crossed with a healthy local bull, the results will be more productive”, he said. Prof Bhuiyan felt that crossbreeds of native and Holstein Friesian cattle can ensure optimum production and are most suitable in a local environment. They can produce 20 litres of milk per day and are ideal for the country's commercial farmers, he said. He noted that milk production in the offspring of hybrid cattle has dropped significantly since artificial insemination between native and Holstein Friesian cattle is not done properly. “A coordinated programme in cooperation with farmers, stakeholders, researchers, scientists and government is necessary to solve the problem in the sector”, he said. Prof Bhuiyan, however, claimed that even if the programme is taken up immediately and in a proper manner, it would take ten years to meet the existing demand for milk. There are at present over 50,000 cattle farms across the country, which need 30 lakh tonnes of feeds annually. But only 10 lakh tonnes of feeds are currently being supplied. Moreover, the animal feeds available in the market are too costly for farmers to keep their cattle in good health. Prof Dr Shamsuddin, consultant, Care Bangladesh, said the feeds for a crossbreed are not the same as those for native cattle. “The crossbreeds need more nourished fodder to produce more milk. But because of the high price of grains and scarcity of better-quality grass like Napier, farmers cannot give their cattle a balanced feed”, he added. He suggested that the government adopt a programme on a national level aimed at encouraging farmers to preserve the by-products of paddy, maize and wheat to meet the demand for fodder. Such a programme would enable farmers to grow improved varieties of grass alongside other crops, he said.