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Poultry industry leaders on Saturday expressed the hope that the country would be able to export poultry products by 2024, especially to the Middle East, a big market for halal meat.
Bangladesh is on the right track to achieve self-sufficiency in poultry production soon as the sector may receive an investment of Tk 50 billion in the next two years due to its export potentials, they said.
They made the remarks at the closing ceremony of a three-day '11th International Poultry Show-2019' organised by the World Poultry Science Association-Bangladesh Branch (WPSA-BB) at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) in the capital, said a press release.
State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Ashraf Ali Khan Khasru addressed the programme as the chief guest.
Secretary of the ministry Raisul Alam Mondal, Department of Livestock Services (DLS) director general (DG) Dr Hiresh Chandra Bhowmik, Bangladesh Food Safety Authority chairman Mohammad Mahfuzul Hoque, WPSA-BB president Shamsul Arefin Khaled, and Bangladesh Poultry Industries Central Council (BPICC) president Moshiur Rahman also spoke.
In his speech, the state minister said the government has taken a number of initiatives to export poultry meat and eggs after meeting the local demand.
There is a big market of halal meat in the Middle Eastern countries, he said, adding that local poultry growers should prepare themselves to tap this opportunity.
Terming the government agriculture-friendly, Mr Khasru said for the development of poultry and livestock sector, the government has enacted National Poultry Development Policy, 2008, National Livestock Development Policy, 2007, Fish Feed and Animal Feed Act, 2010 and Food Safety Act 2013.
He also said gradual rise in poultry feed prices, outbreak of new diseases and low effectiveness of medicines are the key challenges for the poultry growers, which should be overcome for further development of the sector.
BPICC president Moshiur Rahman said the poultry sector may attract Tk 50 billion investment following different initiatives like poultry show, seminars and campaigns.
To discourage random use of antibiotics in poultry feed, he called on the government to provide subsidy for probiotic and prebiotic product sector for the next five years.
He also demanded tax cuts on import of raw materials of poultry feed.
WPSA-BB president said local poultry products may enter the export market by 2024 as there are huge demands for halal meat in Muslim-majority countries.
The poultry sector entrepreneurs along with the government are earnestly trying to tap the export potentials for poultry products, he added.