Built at a cost of approximately Tk 13.52 crore to boost semen production for the Department of Livestock Services, the modern "Bull Calf Rearing Unit cum Minilab" in Pirganj, Rangpur, has remained shut due to severe budget constraints and food shortages following its inauguration.
Initiated in 2018 across five acres of land in Laldighi under the Department of Livestock Services' artificial insemination expansion and embryo transfer project, construction concluded in 2023, after which operations briefly commenced with ten bulls before being transferred to the central cattle breeding station in Savar late last year due to a lack of operational funds. Consequently, local farmers and livestock owners across Rangpur and surrounding districts are deprived of benefits from this multi-crore infrastructure, which features an office-cum-laboratory, semen collection shed, bull sheds, calf pen sheds, feed godowns, and isolation facilities designed for breeding high-yield milk and meat cattle varieties.
While the Department of Livestock Services notes that the country requires nearly two crore doses of semen annually—producing about 50 lakh doses itself while relying on private sources for the remainder—officials including Rangpur District Livestock Officer Dr. Md. Nazmul Huda, Deputy Director of Artificial Insemination Saidur Rahman, and Director of Artificial Insemination Dr. Farida Yasmin have confirmed that the facility remains temporarily suspended due to a lack of grain feed budget allocations and manpower shortages, with measures promised once funds are allocated.
— Daily Best News Desk • Fearless in the search for truth
Reported by Rangpur Bureau • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
