Cattle farmers in trouble as flood damages fodder

"I had to sell three of my six cows for low prices in the local market on Sunday as the recent flood damaged all the grasses at fields, causing acute crisis of green fodder in char areas," said farmer Hashem Ali, 56, at Char Gobordhan in Teesta River basin area of Aditmari upazila under the district.

Many char farmers in the Teesta and Dharla Rivers basin villages are also in the same boat.

Matiar Rahman, 50, of Char Bowalmari village in Dharla River basin area of Lalmonirhat Sadar said he stocked 65 maunds of hay for his seven cows but at least 70 percent of the hay was damaged by the recent flood.

"I have decided to sell four of my seven cows as I find it difficult to collect green fodder and hay for rearing cattle at the village. All of the grass fields around my homestead were damaged by the recent flood," he said.

Ahsanul Haque Bulu, an NGO representative in Lalmonirhat Sadar, said farmers living in Teesta and Dharla river basin areas in the district are mainly dependent on cattle rearing but they are facing untold problem due to an acute green fodder crisis as all the grass fields in char areas have been damaged by the recent flash flood.

"Now one maund of hay is selling between Tk 400 to 450 in the local market although it was Tk 200 to 250 a month ago. Failing to afford hay, oilcake and wheat bran, farmers are selling their domestic animals for low prices," said Shahadat Hossain, 45, a farmer at Teesta River char Sholmari in Kaliganj upazila. 

"A couple of weeks ago, I used to get seven to eight litres of milk daily from my two cows but now the milk production has reduced to only three litres due to shortage of fodder. The flood had washed away our preserved haystack," said Nabin Chandra Barmon, 55, a farmer at Shiberkuti Char village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila.

Livestock office sources said some ten thousand farmers rear about 60 thousand cattle at 90 char villages in the district.

"Damage of green fodder had by floodwater in char areas is a common scene during the rains. Many grass fields are still under floodwater. It would take months for new grass to grow after the water recedes," said Lalmonirhat District Livestock Officer Dr Joynal Abedin.