Fodder crisis deepens in flood-hit Sirajganj

Fodder crisis have become a double blow for the flood affected people of Sirajganj, one of the major dairy hubs in the country. The people who have become stranded due to the flood are worried over feeding their domestic animals as 154 acres of grazing land have submerged in the flood in the district.

Sural Jowardar, a poor farmer of village Bonni Dorota in Sadar upazila, has two cows, but flood waters entered his homestead couple of weeks ago, causing food crisis for his family and the animals.

"We can live without food or minimum food a day but we must feed our domestic animals. All the grazing land in the shoal has become submerged, and we have no money to buy fodder. So, I have shifted the cows to Berabari, another point of the shoal," Sural said.

"The water is increasing very fast and it is just a matter of time until Berbari point gets submerged as well, so I am worried to feed my animals," he added.

Visiting Berabari area last week, this correspondent found that many people were cutting grass in the shoal and a number of cows were grazing. People were coming from long distance in the part of the shoal to collect cattle feed.

"Due to river erosion, we have lost our house and we have taken shelter in the flood protection embankment along with three cows. I have been coming here every morning on my boat for collecting grass over the last couple of weeks." Sujon Miah of Berabari area said.

Sujon will have nowhere else to go another if it (Berabari shoal) gets submerged in flood water.

Like them, most of the flood-hit people can hardly manage fodder for their animals.

According to Sirajganj District Livestock Officer (DLO) Dr Gourango Kumar Talukdar, Sirajganj is one of the major dairy hubs in the country having over 8.78 lakh cows, 3.5 lakh goats and over 1 lakh lambs.

Fodder crisis and crises of shelter are making animal farming costlier and immensely difficult due to the flood, he said.

According to the DLO, around 1.08 lakh cows, 79 thousand goats and 20 thousand lambs have been affected by the flood in the last couple of weeks in Sadar, Chowhali, Kazipur and Shahzadpur upazila.

Around 154 acres of grazing land have also submerged in the four upazilas deepening fodder crisis, the DLO said, adding that the flood situation is worsening and more animals are likely to be affected in the district.

Flood-hit cattle farmers, however, said in addition to the fodder crisis, various animal diseases have also broken out.

"We have already started vaccination to the cattle in the flood-hit areas for preventing diseases. We will take initiative to give fodder support to the affected farmers," The DLO added