Staff Reporter:
Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid has said the government has taken special measures to ensure the safety of traders, farmers and buyers at cattle markets across the country.
Special machines have been installed at cattle markets to detect counterfeit currency notes, while banking services have also been provided in the markets so that sellers can safely deposit money and, if neces-sary, open new accounts to keep their earnings secure, he said.
Aminur Rashid, also Minister for Ministry of Agriculture, said this yesterday while talking to media af-ter visiting the sacrificial cattle market at Diabari in the capital, according to a release.
Replying to questions from journalists, he said there are adequate supply of sacrificial animals in the country ahead of the upcoming holy Eid-ul-Azha and this year the demand for sacrificial animals can be met entirely with domestic cattle.
He said the country’s farmers and cattle rearers have produced sufficient numbers of cows, goats and buffaloes to meet the demand for Qurbani.
Regarding the disturbance of thieves and dacoits in cattle markets the minister said local administration and law enforcing agencies and volunteer teams are working round the clock to address the problem.
Arrangements have been made for public announcement, monitoring and instant assistance to find out the lost animals, he said, adding that in many cases lost cattle are being quickly recovered and returned to their owners.
The minister said the government has taken a strict stance to check entry of illegal cattle through border areas. Necessary instructions were given to border guards, local administration and law enforcement agencies in an inter-ministerial meeting in this regard, he said.
He said pricing of animals would be transparent and fixed gradually in future if the culture of selling cattle based on weight or ‘live weight’ system develops.
The minister said it is difficult to create any artificial syndicate in the market due to the presence of thousands of buyers and sellers. Prices of cattle are determined based on market competition and demand and supply, he added.
He further said the government has deployed necessary manpower to ensure discipline, security and smooth trading at cattle markets in the capital and across the country and the activities will continue until Eid.
Director General of the Department of Livestock Services Md Shahjaman Khan and senior officials were present.
