The government is working to develop the livestock sector and strengthen the capacity of marginal farmers and entrepreneurs, State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salauddin Tuku said on Monday.

Tuku made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural programme of a training workshop aimed at motivating entrepreneurs in commercial buffalo farming, held at the conference room of Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI) in the afternoon.

The state minister said the government has taken various initiatives to ensure the production and supply of safe and quality animal feed, provide training to farmers at the upazila level and ensure the availability of necessary medicines and quality veterinary services.

He said the government aims to increase growth in the poultry and dairy sectors to make protein-rich food more accessible to rural people and gradually turn the sector into a full-fledged industry.

Highlighting the role of women in the sector, Tuku said the government is encouraging women entrepreneurs and strengthening vaccination programmes to enhance the capacity of marginal farmers.

He said alongside the poultry and dairy sectors, the government is placing emphasis on expanding buffalo farming to meet the country’s growing protein demand.

“Buffalo meat is highly nutritious and buffaloes can also play an important role in milk production,” Tuku said, adding that training and various forms of support are being provided to encourage entrepreneurs to invest in buffalo farming.

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The state minister noted that buffaloes are often capable of producing more milk than cattle in many cases, stressing the need to increase both the number of buffaloes and farmers involved in the sector. “Expanding buffalo farming could open new opportunities for increasing milk and meat production in Bangladesh; buffaloes are a major source of milk production in many neighbouring countries, Bangladesh is still lagging behind in this sector.”

To address this, the government is planning initiatives including the collection of improved buffalo breeds, distribution of calves among farmers and expanded training programmes to promote buffalo farming, he said.

Tuku informed that the government has already started distributing farmers’ cards among farmers and livestock rearers to facilitate support and services for them.

Creating a database of trained farmers would make it easier to provide government assistance in the future and help them expand their farms, contributing significantly to the national economy, Tuku added.

He also stressed the need to strengthen research activities and ensure adequate budget allocations to further enhance productivity in the livestock sector.

BLRI Director General Dr Shakila Faruque presided over the programme. Senior officials of the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry, institute officials and farmers were also present.

Earlier, the state minister visited different research activities of the institute.