STAR REPORT

People living in the haor areas of Sylhet are struggling to maintain their cattle after floods destroyed crops and washed away fodder sources, causing a sharp rise in cattle feed prices.

Locals said cattle rearing is the main source of livelihood for many families in the region. However, the recent floods submerged vast stretches of boro paddy fields, leaving farmers struggling to collect fodder for their livestock.

According to market sources, the price of hay, the primary feed for cattle, has more than doubled in three months. Hay that was previously sold at Tk 300 to Tk 350 per maund is now being sold at Tk 800 to Tk 850.

Prices of other cattle feed items have also surged. Granular cattle feed, which used to cost Tk 1,150 per sack, is now selling for Tk 1,500, while the price of mustard oil cake and other feed has increased from Tk 40 per kilogramme to Tk 60.

Fajr Ali, a hay trader in Ikram Haor in Baniachong upazila of Habiganj, said the shortage was caused by severe damage to seeds due to flooding in the haor region.

“Earlier, we could easily collect hay from local farmers, but now we have to bring it from distant districts at higher costs,” he said.

He added that rising transportation costs were also contributing to the price hike.

Nazrul Islam, a farmer from Baniachong upazila who owns 10 cows, said he was struggling to continue cattle farming due to soaring feed prices.

“The amount of hay that used to cost Tk 400 before now costs Tk 1,000. Besides hay, prices of granular feed, oil cake, and other cattle feed have also increased significantly,” he said.

He feared that inadequate feeding would reduce milk production and affect the health of the cattle.

Another farmer, Abdus Shahid from Hakaluki Haor in Kulaura upazila of Moulvibazar, said he recently purchased 30 maunds of hay at Tk 1,000 per maund to keep his cattle alive.

“The cost of maintaining the farm has increased several times, while profits have declined sharply. I am already running the farm with borrowed money,” he said.

“If feed prices continue to rise, I may have no option but to leave this profession,” he added.

Habiganj District Livestock Officer Dr Md Nurul Islam said the authorities were encouraging farmers to cultivate grass and supplying them with grass seeds.

Dr Abu Zafar Md Ferdous, director of the Divisional Livestock Office in Sylhet, said around three million cattle are in Sylhet division.

He said a monitoring cell had been formed to assess the damage, and the issue had been given top priority.