News Flash
DHAKA, Nov 27, 2025(BSS) - Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhtar today said the government is working to achieve self-sufficiency in food by conserving, developing and increasing the production of indigenous breeds of livestock.
She made these remarks after attending a rally marking National Livestock Week 2025. The rally started from Manik Mia Avenue and ended at the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.
The government is not in favor of importing unsafe foreign animals, therefore, the government is moving forward with an aim of not only meeting domestic demand through the production of local animals but also creating markets abroad.
Later, a seminar titled "Problems, Potentials, and Action Plans of the Livestock Sector" was held at the old trade fair ground. The adviser attended the seminar as the chief guest.
She emphasized on reducing import dependency in the poultry sector. "To reduce dependency on imported maize and soybean for the poultry industry, these two crops need to be brought under the agriculture sector and addressed through integrated efforts," she added.
Regarding the recent decision on exiting the Least Developed Countries (LDC) category, she said, "Graduation from LDC status in 2026 was a political decision, but the necessary capacity required to exit the LDC category has not yet been fully achieved, exiting involved certain risks, yet we must make decisions on this matter."
Highlighting the challenges faced by small poultry farmers, the Adviser said, "Resolving the crisis of poultry feed is urgent. To sustain small farmers, feed-related issues must be prioritized and addressed through collaborative efforts."
Fisheries and Livestock Secretary Abu Taher Muhammad Jaber presided over the seminar and the Director General of the Department of Livestock Services Dr Md Abu Sufian moderated it. SM Ferdous Alam, Director General of the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), joined the seminar as special guest where senior officials of the ministry, representatives from the private sector, experts, researchers and officials from relevant organizations were also present.
The seminar included extensive discussions on current challenges, potential, safe food production, quality improvement, market systems, research and innovation, sustainable development of small farmers and future action plans for the livestock sector.
Speakers of the seminar said that in the rapidly changing agricultural and livestock landscape, integrated efforts are essential to ensure food quality control, disease prevention, balancing domestic supply and demand and achieving export potential.
It is to be noted that Livestock Week-25 is being observed for the first time simultaneously across the country, including the capital, under the theme: "Indigenous Breeds, Modern Technology: Development in Livestock."
