Shawdesh Desk: The ongoing flood that hit hard 28 districts of the country is compelling farmers to sell their cattle at low prices due to acute fodder crisis, lack of places to keep the cattle and transport problems.

Department of livestock services officials said that the flood would affect the meat output although it would not affect the number of sacrificial animals for Eid-ul-Azha, one of the biggest festivals of the Muslims.

Affected farmers said that they were now selling cattle to local middleman directly from home at much lower prices than the normal, a couple of weeks before the Eid as they couldn’t keep their cattle any more for the crisis of fodder and shelter.

They said that there was no way to go to market where they could bargain as most roads were under floodwater.

Sirajul Islam, a farmer in Jamalpur, said that he expected Tk 80,000 for an ox but was forced to sell it for Tk 50,000 as he had no scope to justify the market, weeks before the Eid.

He said that the middlemen were taking the flood as an opportunity for making high profit as the farmers in the flood-affected middle and northern districts of the country were now in a highly disadvantaged situation.

According to DLS officials, some 11.18 million cattle heads are ready for the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha, to be celebrated in the second week of August, against the demand for 10.50 million animals this year.

DLS director (production) Md Mahbubur Rahman said that the meat output from the cattle of the flood-affected areas would be negatively affected, affecting the farmers financially.

He, however, said that the domestic production of cattle was sufficient to meet the upcoming Eid demand.

Flood-hit Gaibandha district’s livestock officer Dr Md Abdus Samad said that the number of domestic animals –cows, buffaloes, goats, etc – in the district was still the same as only two cattle heads died due to the floods but the farmers were compelled to sell their animals at very low prices as they had no shelter, fodder and drinking water for their cattle.

‘As the weight of the animals has declined for inadequate fodder and as they cannot go to the market as roads are under water, they are forced to sell their animals to middleman at lower prices,’ he said.

He said that more than  25,000 cattle heads, including 17,756 cows and buffaloes, were prepared in the district for the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha this year.

However, the meat output would be adversely affected for the flood although the number of animal was the same.

Farmer Akkas Ali of Kulaghat in Lalmonirhat said that he was forced to sell four cattle heads for Tk 120,000 but their market price was not less than Tk 200,000.

‘As the River Dharla eroded my house I had no alternative but to sell my oxen,’ he told New Age.

Mosaddek Hossain, chairman of Mohishkhocha union parishad in Aditmari under Lalmonirhat, said that at least 400 farmers of his union sold out several thousand cattle heads for the flood that kept the area under water for more than three weeks.

Farmers said that fodder was very scarce and very expensive. Even if farmers wanted to buy it from other areas they could not do so as the flood had eroded many roads.

Besides, many farmers sold their animals at lower prices to maintain their families as the government relief distributed was inadequate, people of Kurigram district said.

‘I cannot manage food for my family for lack of money, buying fodder is irrelavant,’ said Abdur Rahman, a farmer of Sharishuri village in Nunkhawa union under Nageshwari in the district.

Around nine lakh people of Nageshwari upazila have taken shelter on different roads as their houses have been under two-to-five feet water for weeks.

The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre on Monday said that major rivers in the country except for the Ganges might continue to recede until Wednesday morning.

The flood situation in the country might continue to improve until Tuesday morning, said the FFWC.

Eight rivers were flowing above their danger marks at 11 points in eight districts at 9 AM Monday morning, said the FFWC.

The highest rainfall of the country of 58 mm in 24 hours until Monday morning was recorded at Teknaf, said the FFWC.

The Met Office predicted light to moderate rainfall at a few places in Khulna, Barishal, Sylhet and Chattogram divisions until Tuesday morning.

Since July 10, more than six million people were marooned in 28 districts in Bangladesh. The flood wreaked havoc washing away houses and bridges and culverts and damaging roads and embankments.

Many areas in 12 districts were still under water.