<i>Milk crisis hits sweetmeat trade</i>
Unavailability of grass discourages cattle rearing in Chandpur
Milk production, both at dairies and from domestic cattle, has marked a sharp fall in the district in the last few years.
Local sources attributed the declining trend of milk production to disappearance of pastures from the char (newly emerged landmass) areas due to massive farming and from rural and suburban areas due to rapid construction of dwelling and trading houses, buildings, mills and factories.
Because of unavailability of grass, most people in the district are losing interest in rearing cattle, both at farm and household levels.
Chandpur has a wide reputation for its exquisite production of sweetmeat, alongside hilsa fish from Meghna River.
Various kinds of sweets like rosgolla, rosh malai, sandesh, Ganga rosgolla, Jamuna rosgolla, kata rosgolla, gurer (molasses) sandesh, curd and others attract consumers, also from outside the district.
But shortage of milk is hindering preparation of such mouthwatering sweets up to their traditional standard, sources involved in the industry said.
Production of cow milk has declined to a great extent in all eight upazilas of the district in the recent years, said veteran sweetmeat traders Kalam Haji, Shampad Saha and others.
Their views have been echoed by several cattle milk producers and suppliers.
Since last Ramadan, milk sells at Tk 60 or 65 per litre at local milk market at Puran Bazar in the district town, said some traders who buy milk every day.
But still this milk is not found pure most of the time, they alleged.
Around 30 percent of the milk is found adulterated with river water, said sweetmeat trader Shampad Saha of the town's famous sweetmeat shop "One Minute".
Acute shortage of pure cow milk has put the renowned sweetmeat trade into a dwindling position.
The traders cannot run their business smoothly for want of sufficient quantity of pure cow milk for the last few years.
During Eid and other festivals, they face serious crisis of milk.
Most of the customers have to go back disappointed after moving from one shop to another for a packet of quality sweets, said many sweetmeat traders.
A random survey shows there are over 900 sweetmeat shops in the eight upazilas and seven paurasavas (municipality) of the district.
Frequent mobile court is needed to curb adulteration of milk and sweets in the local shops, observed several affected consumers.
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