Acute fodder crisis grips Lalmonirhat char areas

A woman going to Char Narasingh with green fodders collected from the mainland as her area in the Teesta river basin in Aditmari upazila of Lalmonirhat sees a serious crisis of cattle feed. PHOTO: STAR

The cattle farmers in Teesta and Dharla river basin areas under the district are badly suffering due to acute fodder crisis as the recent flash floods damaged all the grass fields at 90 char (landmass emerged from riverbed) villages while the prices of hay, oilcake and wheat bran have soared up.

Now one maund of hay is selling between Tk 400 to 450 in the local market against Tk 200 to 220 a month ago.

“The flood has washed away my preserved haystack. Milk production has decreased due to lack of fodder in the char villages. Now I get only three litres of milk daily from two milky cows while I got seven to eight litres a month ago.,” Azizar Rahman of Narsingah village in Aditmari upazila.

"All the grasslands around the char villages have been damaged by flash flood. My three cows have become sickly as I can't collect sufficient green fodder for my three cows from the main land. I can't afford to buy hay either. If the fodder crisis continues for a month, I will sell them," said Mazibar Rahman of Char Gobordhan village in the same upazila.

Visiting some char villages of Teesta and Dharla river basin areas, this correspondent saw that many cows have become sick. A good number of them were attacked with skin diseases.

Only a few medical teams are working in different char areas to check any epidemic of post-flood disease among the domestic animals.

"Farmers in char areas collect green fodders from the mainland during the rainy season every year as the grass fields in char areas are often destroyed due to flooding. It will take months for new grass to grow in the char areas," said Dr Abu Hossain Sarker, Lalmonirhat district livestock officer.