Local cattle industry needs to be protected

We are dismayed by a report published in The Daily Star that the BGB will allow import of cows from India through legal channels. Only a few days back, however, cattle breeders held a press conference saying that they fatten, breed and hold enough cows to feed the market for sacrifice in the ensuing Eid Ul Adha. They claimed that there was absolutely no need to import or smuggle cows from India. 

Neutrally speaking, our livestock quality is better than that of India. Deshi meat is tender and contains less fat, whereas Indian cows are big and their meat quality is poor. We also do not know about their breeding pattern, medicine history, etc. In my opinion, the government needs to give protection to the local cattle industry instead of allowing imports from India. 

Dr. SN Mamoon, by e-mail