Under the initiative, beef, chicken, mutton, milk and eggs are being sold at 30 designated locations in the capital during Ramzan. The Livestock Services Department supplies 50 percent of the beef, and BDFA supplies the rest. The Livestock Department said a total of 448 cows were sold to BDFA from seven government-owned farms at affordable prices.
The price of animals was determined through live weight system. Sources from government farms revealed that the average price per kilogram of live weight was Tk 293.
Agriculture marketing department officials and meat traders said 55 per cent of the total weight of a cow is marketable meat and bones.
Bangladesh Meat Traders Association general secretary Rabiul Alam told Prothom Alo that apart from meat and bones, organs like liver, head, legs and skin can also be sold.
The Government Dairy and Cattle Development Farm located at Hathazari in Chattogram supplied 70 cows. The farm's deputy director, Malay Kanti Modak, told Prothom Alo that 55 percent did not involve organs.
According to calculations, if the price of cattle per kilogram in live state is Tk 293, the price of salable meat per kilogram is Tk 430 (taking into account the price of organs).
BDFA president Imran Hussain claimed to Prothom Alo that 61,600 kg of meat would be available from cows supplied from government farms, while a total of 145,000 kg of meat would be sold at affordable prices during Ramadan. The remaining 83,400 kg of meat is to be supplied by farmers.