RANGPUR: Experts at a pre-road show discussion on Thursday put emphasis on flourishing of the prospective poultry sector to cut poverty and meet nutrition of the people for attaining the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
They viewed this at an event held on Divisional Livestock Office premises here before bringing out the road show rally ahead of the three-day 11th International Poultry Show and Seminar- 2019 scheduled to be held in Dhaka from March 7.
Rangpur units of World Poultry Science Association of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Poultry Industry Central Council and Bangladesh Livestock Society with assistance of Divisional Livestock Office organised the event.
Acting Divisional Deputy Director of the Department of Livestock Agriculturist Md. Shahjalal Khondker addressed the discussion as chief guest with Acting District Livestock Officer Dr. Md. Sarwar Hossain in the chair.
Deputy Curator at Rangpur Zoo Dr. Md. Jasim Uddin, Deputy Directors of the Department of Livestock Dr. Ambar Ali and Dr. Nazmul Hossain, Badarganj Upazila Livestock Officer Dr. Omar Ali and Assistant Director (Animal Production) Agriculturist Waliur Rahman addressed as special guests.
Agriculturist Dr. Sarwar Hossain said the flourishing poultry industry changed the economic scenario of Rangpur division enhancing production of meat and eggs to meet nutrition of the population in the last 10 years.
Some 139 poultry farms produced 140 crore pieces of eggs against the demand of only 16 crore pieces and 6.02 lakh tonnes of chicken meat against demand of 6.72 lakh tonnes for 1.55 crore people of Rangpur division last year increasing the production by 10 times in 10 years.
“A silent revolution has taken place in the poultry industry in Rangpur division in the last ten years to meet animal protein demand of the population besides eradicating poverty and creating employment opportunities,” Dr. Hossain said.
The private sector poultry farms are producing 12 crore pieces of chicken eggs every year in Rangpur district alone with 30.10 lakh population having an annual demand of only 3.22 crore pieces of eggs, he added.The chief guest said chicken eggs and meat are being produced in the country adopting latest scientific technologies for meeting nutritional demand of the growing population.
“The flourishing poultry sector would contribute a lot to improve economic condition of the people by creating huge jobs to cut poverty and meet the food demand effectively; assisting the nation to attain the SDGs by 2030,” he hoped.