Ban Animal, Meat Imports from India, Myanmar: Traders

Meat traders on Saturday placed a five-point demand including banning the imports of cattle, buffalo and meat from India and Myanmar for the sake of domestic animal husbandry.

Bangladesh Meat Traders Association (BMTA) and Dhaka Metropolitan Meat Merchant Association (DMMMA) jointly organized the program in the capital.

Their other demands include-- stopping extra charges collection at Gabtali cattle market, stopping oppression by leaseholders and reducing the rent; completing waste and water treatment plant CETP soon as these are the main obstacle for the leather industry’s development and export; training for meat workers helping meat traders association for the sake of good export earnings; and fixing rate of the raw hides of the sacrifices.

BMTA President Farid Ahmed said India and Myanmar earned around Tk 60,000 crore every year by cattle smuggling.   

''Bangladesh can earn around Tk 80,000 to export flesh, bones, horns, veins, belly, hides fulfilling the country’s demands if Char and hilly areas can be brought under animal husbandry. So the country's farmers should be given more agricultural loans,'' he also said.

Farid Ahmed added they can sell a kg meat at Tk300 if the government and rich people gift cows, buffaloes, goats and lambs from their Jakat funds to poor farmers, widows and unemployed youths.

BMTA secretary general Rabiul Alam, DMMMA acting president Abdus Salam, its secretary Shamim Ahmed Quraisi, Bangladesh Animal Waste Collection Owners Association general secretary Sohel Ahmed and Bangladesh Dairy Farm Owners Association secretary Sah Imran also present there.

Source: UNB