THE ongoing flood in the north and north-east shows that the government鈥檚 flood response largely leaves out livestock. The livestock department says that more than 5,500 cattle and 34,500 poultry birds died in two-to-four weeks in the flood-stricken areas while many more are feared to die for an acute shortage of feed and fodder. The situation is likely to have a lasting impact on protein supply from the north and north-east, the heartlands of livestock production. The divisional livestock office in Rangpur says that the flood has killed about 6,000 cattle and affected 14,904 livestock farms and 40,952 individual livestock farmers in five districts. The Sylhet divisional office estimates that 34,552 poultry birds and 305 cattle died and about 1,500 poultry and cattle farms were affected. The flood has also destroyed 9,378 tonnes of hay, 491 tonnes of granular food and 8021 tonnes of grass.
The flood has also left tens of thousands of cattle stranded on farms or huddled together in temporary shelters, seriously affecting their health by triggering outbreaks of diseases. The fodder shortage, meanwhile, is reported to have only intensified grassland went and chars along the Brahmaputra, Jamuna and Meghna are still under water. Grassland totaling 1,500 acres out of 4,000 acres is still under water only in Sirajganj. The dearth of fodder has also caused an abnormal increase in prices of hay, chaff and feed. The price of a bundle of grass has tripled while prices of hay, chaff and feed have also increased substantially. The dearth of fodder has also triggered distress sales of cattle, which has a long-term impact on the economic well-being of livestock farmers. The fodder crisis is likely to persist as the farmers will have to grow fresh grass, which might take at least 45 days. The government response to the crisis has, meanwhile, remained inadequate, with an allocation so far of Tk 4 million for fodder. This allocation is inadequate for the fodder in even a single district. It does not even meet the need for the cattle huddled in temporary shelters.
The flood response must, therefore, include special programmes aimed at livestock. The programmes must include an adequate allocation of fodder and money and enough shelter for livestock animals.