The price of one van of straw is Tk. 3500

Golam Mostafa from Tarash: There is an acute crisis of cattle straw in Sirajganj. Farmers and householders are in extreme distress with this. Bablu Mia, a farmer named Abul Kalam of Kazipur village in Baruhas union of the upazila and a householder of Vadas village in Tarash municipal area, said there was a crisis of cattle hay during the last floods, which has now assumed intense proportions. One van hay has to be bought from the surrounding upazilas for three thousand rupees. Three thousand rupees is falling in Surrey including van rent.

The two further said that usually boro paddy straw is used to supply cattle feed during the months of Baishakh, Jaist, Ashar and Shravan. For the remaining eight months, the demand for food is met with aman straw. But this year, the transplanted aman paddy was destroyed due to floods. At that time, due to heavy rains, most of the farms and households lost their straw.

In this regard, Upazila Livestock Officer Dr. RM O Sohail said, ‘After twenty to twenty five days, boro paddy harvesting will start. Until then, straw as well as rice powder can be fed as cattle feed. And to make up for the lack of protein, gram, khail and bran should be eaten.’