People can now eat meat three times a day: Livestock minister

The Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim said that the country's people can now afford meat three times a day in their meals as phenomenal progress has been made in the livestock sector due to the tireless efforts of the scientists.

The minister claimed this at a time when the inflation and exorbitant prices of essential commodities have made people's living difficult forcing them to compromise with their daily expenditures on food and other stuff.

"The livestock sector entrepreneurs have not only helped make others self-dependent by eradicating unemployment but also have contributed to keeping the rural economy vibrant," said the minister at a workshop on Saturday at the Dhaka Reporter's Unity in the capital.  

Rezaul Karim also said that this potential sector should be moved forward as the lion's share of meat, milk and egg come from this sector. There will be food and nutrition crises if there is a shortage of production, he added.

In his presentation, Chief Technical Coordinator of the Livestock and Dairy Development Project (LDDP) Golam Rabbani said that India ranks first among the top six milk-producing countries and Bangladesh is not on that list.   

India has attained this position by implementing specific plans, said Rabbani, adding Bangladesh is also in the process to increase its milk, egg and meat production manifolds by implementing the LDDP project.  

Referring to the importance of processed milk products, he said that New Zealand produces only 4% of the total global milk demand. But the country is the supplier of 40% of the milk products in the global market.