As Bangladesh’s economy continues to see a steady growth, the number of wealthy buyers have imported cattle from the US for Eid-ul-Azha this year.
Every year, importers bring in cattle to meet the high demands from neighbouring countries – Myanmar, India, and Pakistan – by trawler or truck.
According to Livestock Department, last year, a total of 10.4 million animals were slaughtered, which is expected to be 11.5 million this year.
One of the importers, Sadik Agro Farm, has been importing cattle from US state of Texas for the past two years.
The owner of the farm, which is located in the Mohammadpur Beribadh area of Dhaka, Haji Imran Hossain, has imported seven cattle from Texas to meet the demand for sacrificial animals for this year’s upcoming Eid.
Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, Imran said: “The cattle were flown-in directly from Texas, USA in a cargo plane. The import cost, including the airfare is about Tk1.3 crore.”
Visiting the Sadik Agro Farm on August 15, the Dhaka Tribune notes some key differences between the local cattle and the ones from Texas.
The cattle imported from Texas lack horns, but are much taller and have stockier bodies than locally-traded ones.
“All seven cattle have already been sold, and the biggest cow, named Bahadur, was sold for Tk28 lakh. Bahadur weighs 1,500kg and is 10 feet tall. Another cow, weighing 1,100kg, was sold at Tk25 lakh,'' the farm’s manager, Sumon, said.
He added: “Imported cattle are much stronger than the native breed. When these cows were first brought to this farm, they were difficult to control and maintain. But they gradually adjusted with their new surroundings.
“The imported cattle need more food compared to local ones, but the type of food remains the same. The Texan cattle usually eats 30-35kg of feed every day.”
Owner Imran said: “'In Bangladesh, demand for these expensive sacrificial cattle is increasing each year, and we import them to meet local demand.”
