Fodder crisis hits flood-hit areas of Lalmonirhat
L-R: Cattle farmers in Teesta and Dharla river basin areas of Lalmonirhat district face acute fodder crisis as recent floods damaged grass fields in around 60 char villages in the four upazilas of the district. A farmer of Shiberkuti Char in Dharla river basin area collects a very small quantity of fodder from a far-flung area.Photo: STAR
A large number of cattle farmers in Teesta and Dharla river basin areas of the district are facing serious problem due to acute crisis of fodder following the recent flash floods. Floodwater has destroyed grass fields in around 60 char (landmass emerged from riverbed) villages of Teesta and Dharla river basin areas in four upazilas of Lalmonirhat and it will take a couple of months for new grass to grow, said Lalmonirhat District Livestock Officer Dr Abu Hossain Sarker. High prices of hay, oilcake and wheat bran from the beginning of the rainy season have added to the situation. "One maund of hay is selling for Tk 300 to Tk 350 in local markets whereas the price was Tk 180 to 200 a month ago. As all of the grass fields have been damaged by the recent flood, crisis of green fodder has also turned serious and I have sold all of my three cows,” Jalal Miah of Sindurna village of Hatibandha upazila said. "My three cows have turned bone and skin due to lack of green fodder as all the grasslands around the village have been damaged by the flash flood. I have not money to purchase hay from the market either. If the fodder crisis continues for a month, I will sell the cows," Akmol Hossain, a farmer at Shiberkuti Char village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila said. "The flood has washed away my preserved haystack and there is scarcity of green fodder too. Now I get only three litres of milk from two cows daily while a month ago I used to get about seven to eight litres of milk on an average," Harunur Rashid, a farmer of Shoalmari village under Kaliganj upazila said. Dairy farm owner Soleman Miah of Bowalmari Char village of Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila said he sold all the six milking cows of his farm for low prices a week ago as it became very difficult to maintain them due to fodder crisis. Visiting some villages in Teesta and Dharla river basin areas, this correspondent saw that many cows have become sick, some of them attacked with skin diseases. Only a few medical teams are working in different char areas to check epidemic of post-flood diseases among the domestic animals. The fodder crisis is likely to continue till the beginning of aman paddy harvest, said Montez Ali, a farmer of Char Kalmati village under Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila.
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