Traders support importing cattle from Brazil, farmers object
Brazil has expressed its interest in exporting beef to Bangladesh, while the latter aims to commence the imports of cattle before the Eid-ul-Azha, a period marked by heightened demand for cows.
Both sides discussed the issue during the recent trip of Brazilian foreign minister Mauro Vieira to Dhaka.
The demand for cattle is usually dependent on two Eids. In particular, the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha witnesses half of the cattle slaughters throughout the year.
Once upon a time, the authorities used to meet the local demand by importing cattles from India. But the import is now banned in an effort to safeguard the local farmers.
Recently, beef prices have soared to Tk 800 per kg in the kitchen markets in Dhaka, triggering a call from consumers and a quarter of traders to allow occasional imports of Indian cattle and beef.
The farmers, however, objected to the call, saying that it will not be conducive to the local industry. They rather suggested reining in the fodder prices in the local markets, which eventually would drag down the beef price.
They also sought necessary initiatives to make the industry sustainable.
Golam Murtaza, president of the Bangladesh Meat Traders Association, said the government may take steps to import cattle considering the current market situation and it would help keep the prices under control.
Noting that there are some sensitive issues in the import process, he said the government should keep the issues into consideration to ward off any untoward situation.
He hoped that the government would consider these issues and take necessary measures to control the market.
Opposing the issue, the Bangladesh Dairy Farmers Association (BDFA) cited government data to claim that there is no cattle crisis in the country. If the import initiative stems from the issue of high prices, the government should rather think about bolstering the local industry.
Shah Imran, general secretary of BDFA, said the fodder prices increased three times during the last three years, against the backdrop of high exchange rate of dollars and inflation. But there is no initiative from the government in this regard.
He noted that the beef price would go down once the fodder price decreases. There are abundant cattle in the country. The government should prioritise the issue of safeguarding the local industries.
The BDFA general secretary further said the industry received a significant amount of institutional investment and the government should think about their protection.
Meanwhile, a section of farmers alleged that some unscrupulous traders are taking exorbitant prices from the consumers, though they purchase the cattle from farmers at a much lower price. They pointed out the presence of a powerful syndicate of meat traders.