FENI, May 21: More than 5,000 cattle farmers in Feni are passing busy days caring for sacrificial animals ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.
A total of 90,452 livestock have been prepared for sale in the district, raising hopes among farmers that local demand can be met even without the inflow of cattle from India.
Arafat Khan, owner of Hasina Agro on Pathanbari Road in Feni town, said farmers rear cattle throughout the year but remain worried before Eid over the illegal entry of Indian cattle through border routes.
"The government has taken a firm stance against the smuggling of Indian cattle. If this continues until Eid, we hope to receive fair prices for our animals," he said.
He added that his farm raises cattle using fully organic feeding methods. "Incidents of theft usually increase during Eid season. We hope law enforcement agencies will maintain strict vigilance," he said.
Kazi Zafar Uddin, owner of KS Agro in South Mongolkandi Village under Sonagazi Upazila, said he has reared cattle mainly out of personal passion rather than commercial interest.
He said 22 naturally raised cattle are ready for sale this Eid season, with prices ranging from Tk 70,000 to over Tk 2 lakh.
At Arman Agro in Charchandia Union, 23 cattle have been prepared for sacrifice, with prices ranging from Tk 1.8 lakh to Tk 4.5 lakh, according to farm manager Md Nahidul Islam.
He said one cow has already been sold for Tk 1.8 lakh. As the animals are quite large, transporting them to cattle markets would be difficult, so the farm owners prefer to sell them directly from the farm.
"Buyers can keep their purchased cattle safely at the farm until the day before Eid through mutual agreement," he added.
Owners of several other farms in the district said the entry of Indian cattle would cause losses to local farmers, as domestic cattle are sufficient to meet demand. They urged the government to prevent illegal cattle imports through border areas.
Many buyers were seen expressing satisfaction after purchasing sacrificial animals from local farms, while some have already bought cattle and left them at the farms until Eid.
Feni District Livestock Officer Dr Md Delwar Hossain said the district has prepared 90,452 livestock against a demand of 82,525 animals for Eid-ul-Azha.
"The sacrificial demand can be fully met with cattle reared by 5,407 local farmers," he said.
He warned that local farmers would suffer financially if Indian cattle entered the market illegally and said measures have already been taken to prevent smuggling through border areas.
