Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhtar has said that although several countries have offered to export beef to Bangladesh at lower prices, the government is moving cautiously to protect domestic farmers and producers.
“Why should we import meat? We will reduce production costs at home and meet our own demand. We do not want to damage the country by importing meat. Instead, we will lower production costs to reduce the prices of meat and eggs,” she said while addressing the 2024–25 Annual Research Review Workshop at the Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI) in Savar on Wednesday morning.
The adviser expressed concern over the reduction of the livestock research budget from Tk5 crore to Tk3 crore, warning that such cuts could hinder innovation and limit the sector’s development. “Research outcomes must not remain confined within institutes. Alongside the Department of Livestock Services, we must work jointly with private organisations and NGOs so that research benefits reach the field,” she added.
Emphasising the One Health approach, Farida Akhtar highlighted the interconnection between human and animal health and urged greater research into animal-waste management, indigenous breed conservation, and climate change impacts on the livestock sector. She also criticised efforts by developed countries to attribute greenhouse gas emissions to the herds of developing nations while continuing heavy fossil-fuel use themselves.
Presiding over the event, BLRI Director General Dr Shakila Faruq was joined by Abu Taher Mohammad Jaber, Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, as special guest.
Jaber said livestock remains an underexplored sector with vast potential. He identified animal health and waste management as two key areas for immediate focus—emphasising vaccination, disease prevention, and the safe disposal of farm waste to protect public health. He also called for improved feed quality, studies on global feed standards and costs, conservation of native breeds, and stronger communication of research outcomes to justify increased government funding.
Dr Md Abu Sufian, Director General of the Department of Livestock Services, also addressed the event. Senior officials from the ministry and its agencies, university faculty members, animal and poultry specialists, entrepreneurs, and BLRI scientists attended the programme.
