The livestock sector in Bangladesh has shown its strong presence with a fast-growing market for meat and dairy products. To provide its 165 million populations with sufficient, safe and nutritious food, the government has deployed great efforts in reforming the whole livestock sector, of which dairy and beef sub-sectors have been given particular emphasis. As an agriculture-based country, the majority of the rural households adopt a mixed farming system by cultivating crops and rearing livestock at the same time. Among the animals raised, cattle are considered as the most valuable asset for small-scale farmers in terms of its meat and milk producing functions. However, the bottlenecks existing in cattle rearing as well as along the entire downstream value chain largely constrain rural households to climb out of poverty. According to DLS, the livestock subsector provides 20% of the population with direct jobs and 45% with part-time jobs. This is particularly important for unemployed youth and women, as well as landless farmers, to lift themselves out of poverty.

 

IFAD, PKSF and DANIDA financed RMTP project is implementing eight value chain sub-projects on “ Market system development of safe meat and dairy products”, and  eight value chain sub-projects on “ Market System development of safe poultry and poultry products” under livestock sector.

 

These sub-projects are expanding the technical, technical and marketing support for the development of various businesses in the livestock sub-sector. Through these sub-projects, it is providing various assistance to 290,000 farmers, entrepreneurs and market actors of 65 Upazilas of 22 districts. Certification, traceability etc. of the products produced are being ensured with the help of sub-projects. These value chain sub-projects are being implemented through 15 partners’ organization of PKSF.