Calling the Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI) as a gene bank for local species, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhtar has asked the institute to focus on adapting foreign breeds while prioritising the conservation of native ones.

The adviser came up with the instruction at the inaugural session of the “Annual Research Review Workshop-2024” at BLRI in Savar on Sunday.

Farida Akhtar stressed the need for BLRI to issue red alerts, if necessary, to safeguard endangered species, and called for creating a detailed map pinpointing regions abundant in specific livestock species, an initiative she described as crucial for efficient management and conservation efforts.

The adviser warned against importing meat, labelling such a decision as ‘suicidal’.

“Many foreign companies have proposed supplying meat at lower prices, but we have the capacity to enhance domestic meat production,” Farida  said, urging stakeholders to focus on year-round meat demand rather than limiting efforts to the sacrificial season alone.

About the surging price of meat, she called for identifying the root causes and instructed the BLRI to boost productivity through local breed development.

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The session, presided over by BLRI Director General Dr Shakila Faruque, was attended by several prominent figures, including Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) Vice Chancellor AK Fazlul Haque Bhuiyan, Additional Secretary of Fisheries and Livestock Ministry ATM Mostafa Kamal, and Department of Livestock Services (DLS) Director General Reajul Huq.