STAFF REPORTER
Speakers at a workshop yesterday said that Tk 50,000 crore investment will be required in the poultry sector by 2021 to meet the demand of eggs and chicken.They said Bangladesh will need 4.5 crore pieces of eggs and 3.5 to 4.0 thousand tonnes of meat daily by this time.
The speakers said the public-private partnership initiative and government’s further support would be needed to expand the sector.
They were addressing the inaugural session of the workshop on “The challenge of animal protein demand by 2021: Public-private policy planning” in Dhaka.
Bangladesh Poultry Industries Coordination Committee (BPICC) organised the workshop at Krishibid Institution Bangladesh in the city.
Fisheries and livestock minister Muhammed Sayedul Hoque, who addressed the function as the chief guest, laid emphasis on providing loan with single-digit interest rate to the poultry entrepreneurs to expand the local industry.
“If the interest rate is become 12-15 percent, why the entrepreneurs will invest in poultry sector. The interest rate in the neighbouring country is single-digit. So, Bangladesh also needs to bring the rate in single digit to facilitate the investments,” he said.
The minister hoped that the finance minister would consider the need for expansion of the local poultry sector and take necessary action to bring down the bank interest rate below the 10 per cent rate.
“Local poultry sector will play vital role to supply animal protein by 2021. In that case, supply of eggs and meat will have to be boosted. The local industry in Bangladeshi can supply the cheap animal protein,” he added.
President of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Abdul Matlub Ahmad emphasised on the need for bring the poultry sector under the insurance coverage. “WE sometime see that if any farm is affected by bird-flue, then chicken and other products there are destroyed. Then the farmers face huge losses.” Since the poultry sector is the best option at this moment to supply maximum protein with cheap rates, the government should give special focus on the expansion on it, eh added while speaking as the special guest.
BPICC Convenor Mashiur Rahman said: “WE need government’s support to enhance necessary Tk50,000 crore investment by the year 2021 from the current investment of Tk 25,000 crore in the poultry sector.”
“We are taking preparation for exporting our products. We request the government to simplify the certification from the export,” Mr Rahman said. Currently, 40-45 percent of the meat demand is being met by the local poultry industry. “Besides, the entire demands for eggs, chicken, chicks and feed are being produced locally. The BPICC chief announced that the “Poultry Media Award” to be awarded in March 2016.
Joint Convenor of BPICC Shamsul Arefin Khaled, Ajay Kumar Roy, Director General of the Department of Livestock, Dr. Subir Boiragi, a research fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) also spoke on the occasion.
