Speakers at a roundtable discussion on Tuesday (Apr 23) said the dairy sector of Bangladesh has potentials. Production cost milk has to be reduced, create habit of milk consumption among the common people through awareness building and provide subsidy to the farmers to utilize the potentials. They also said there is enough scope to increase milk production through providing related training as well as loan facilities with low interest rate to the farmers and rearing of high yielding cows.
The round table titled “Present and future of dairy sector of Bangladesh”was organized by Bangla daily Prothom Alo in association with PRAN Dairy Ltd, at the newspaper's office in Dhaka. Prothom Alo Associate Editor Abdul Kaium moderated the discussion.
Addressing the occasion, Dr. Hiresh Ranjan Bhowmik, Director General at Department of Livestock Services, said the main barrier of country’s dairy sector is the production cost of per litre milk is high. Another problem is maintaining quality. There is no scope to compromise regarding quality.
He also said the role of formal market in dairy sector is very nominal. The dairy farmers will be more aware regarding production of quality milk if formal market is flourishes in the country.
Dr. Nathu Ram Sarker, Director General at Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute, said the dairy sector of Bangladesh has huge potentials. The dairy sector didn’t achieve its expected goal though the poultry sector witnessed a massive development.
The dairy sector will move forward if the local entrepreneurs get involved with the sector.
Ghulam Rahman, President of Consumers Association of Bangladesh, said the per capita consumption of milk in Bangladesh is below than the required amount. The demand of milk will increases if people is aware regarding the nutrition milk contains.
Eleash Mridha, Managing Director of PRAN Group, said Once Bangladesh had deficiency in food. Now Bangladesh becomes self-sufficient in food for taking concerted effort. There is no alternative of taking concerted effort for attaining self-sufficiency in dairy industry.
Raihan Habib, professor of Dairy Science department of Bangladesh Agricultural University, said Bangladesh’s dairy industry will flourish if there is better coordination among cold chain, supply chain and value chain.
Mohammad Imran Hossain, president of Bangladesh Dairy Farmers Association, said, In India, farmers get subsidy for producing milk. But the farmers of Bangladesh didn’t get subsidy though they work relentlessly for ensuring protein intake to the people.
Shafiqul Islam Laskar, Director General of Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, Advocate Umme Kulsum Smrity, President, National Dairy Development Forum and Md Muniruzzaman, Executive Director at PRAN Dairy, among others, spoke at the roundtable discussion.
- Press release
