Bangabandhu Kanya Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was presented with packets of 10 varieties of fish from the Kapotakkho Lake as part of the new initiative of the Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation (BFDC) by officials including the Fisheries and Livestock Minister Md. Abdur Rahman at the Ganobhaban on Thursday (May 9, 2024). At the same time, an official transfer of a milking machine, used for collecting cow milk, was made to the Prime Minister. Among the 4,391 milking machines distributed, 1,000 have been allocated among farmers.
On Thursday morning, May 9, a delegation led by Fisheries and Livestock Minister Md. Abdur Rahman formally transferred ‘BFDICI Ready to Cook Fish’ to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Along with it, a milking machine used for collecting cow milk was also transferred to the Prime Minister. At this time, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, such initiatives, especially the Ready to Cook Fish program, would greatly benefit female workers. She emphasized on the importance of simplifying cooking for female workers, preparation of Ready-to-Cook fish, marketization, and market expansion, and provided insightful directions. The Prime Minister expressed special gratitude to the Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation for adopting the initiative of marketization of ‘BFDICI Ready to Cook Fish’.
A total of 40 species of fish are permanently available in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar, the BFDC building’s fish pond, the fish distribution center at Uttara, and the Chittagong fish port. In addition, ‘BFDICI Ready to Fish’ is being marketed through 16 spots in Dhaka city with 6 freezing vans. The spots include Mirpur DHSS, 27 Number Road, Banani, Navy Headquarters, Gulshan (adjacent to Azad Mosque), South Gate of the Secretariat, Mirpur DHSS, Mirpur (Unoposhita Building), Dhanmondi 6, Azimpur Colony, Ladies Club, Eskaton, etc. Additionally, ‘BFDICI Ready to Cook Fish’ is being marketed through online e-commerce platforms.
The delegation included Mohammad Selim Uddin, Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Saide Mahmud Belal Haider, Chairman and Additional Secretary of the Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation, Dr. Mohammad Rezaul Haque, Director General of the Department of Fisheries, and Golam Rabbani, Chief Technical Coordinator of the Dairy Development Project.
Milking Machines:
Under the leadership of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, the Department of Livestock under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock has formed 6,500 Producer Groups (PGs) in 61 districts of the country through its Livestock Development Project. Nearly 2.6 lakh farmers are organized under these PGs. By disseminating training and technology, milk and meat production is being increased at the farmer level. Among the described 6,500 PGs, 4,391 are Dairy PGs, and nearly 1.75 lakh small and medium dairy farmers are included in it. The government is distributing one mobile milking machine and one grass chopper machine free of cost to each of the 4,391 Dairy PGs. So far, distribution of 1,000 milking machines among the Dairy PGs has been completed. Next year, milking machines and chopper machines will be distributed to all Dairy PGs. As a result, farmers will be more efficient in using new technologies, increasing production efficiency while reducing production costs, improving the hygiene of the farms, and thus consumers will get safe animal products. With the assistance of the World Bank, the government is implementing the Livestock and Dairy Development Project. The project is working on production, marketing, and consumer levels.”
