Fair brings new technologies for poultry farmers

Various equipment and tools are on display at a stall at the international poultry fair in Dhaka yesterday.Photo: STAR

An international poultry exposition in Dhaka has opened a window of opportunities for local growers to gain hands-on experience of latest technologies and farming knowledge to gear up production of meat and eggs.
“The fair will introduce new technologies to our local growers,” Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury said at the inaugural session of the three-day show yesterday.
She advised the local growers to adopt the latest technologies to increase production of high-protein food.
The industry of Tk 15,000 crore has already created employment for around 50 lakh people, and it has the potential to generate more jobs, the minister said.
The industry will ensure food security and help Bangladesh become a middle-income country as early as possible in line with the government's vision 2021, she said.
The brand new technologies displayed at the fair will help local growers accelerate production, said Rafiqul Haque, secretary of World's Poultry Science Association-Bangladesh branch.
The association organised the fair at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre, where companies from 33 countries are showcasing poultry feed, hatchery, poultry medicine, modern equipment and technologies at 288 stalls.
Experts and scientists from different segments of the industry will present 54 papers to add to the local growers' knowledge, Haque said.
In the last few years, the industry faced many challenges, including the attack of avian influenza, he said.
Haque urged the government to adopt large-scale vaccination and substantive disaster recovery programmes for the poultry growers and expand the tax holiday facility for the sector till 2021.
High interest rates of bank loans also hold back the sector's development, he said.