Punish culprits:Daily Star

A cow being fed what is commonly known in the market as ‘vitamins’ to make it fatter in Shamshoil of Bhuapur in Tangail. Photo: Pinaki Roy/Mirza Shakil Fisheries and Livestock Minister Muhammad Sayedul Hoque yesterday directed all livestock officials and employees to go on field visits and take stern legal action against traders who are using steroids or hormone to fatten cattle before Eid-ul-Azha
. The directive came at a discussion with district- and upazila-level livestock officers and employees at the LGED auditorium. The Department of Livestock organised it. "Very few cattle traders, I suppose, are involved in these unlawful activities as most farmers follow the scientific method sanctioned by the government to make the cattle healthy and fat," said the minister while addressing the discussion as the chief guest. Cattle traders buy livestock in bulk and put them through a fattening regime with steroids and vitamins widely available in the market. Photo: Pinaki Roy/Mirza Shakil The government-approved method is an acceptable and established one which equally benefits both traders and consumers, he said. A poster of a pharmaceutical company urging traders to use their products on cattle. Photo: Pinaki Roy/Mirza Shakil "We all have to be alert against such unscrupulous trade to ensure quality meat," said the minister. He said medical teams from the Department of Livestock will be deployed to single out wrongfully fattened cows or bulls in most of the cattle markets in the capital as well as in different districts and upazilas. Warning livestock officials of punitive actions in the event of their slack monitoring, Saydul said they are in deep slumber and he will awake them when necessary. Advertisement He said the demand of meat in the country is currently 6.73 million metric tons which will rise to 7.30 million MT in 2020-2021 fiscal year. The minister urged all traders to adopt the scientific method of fattening cattle to meet the rising demand of the country. Campaigners of safe food have said on many occasions traders use excessive amounts of urea in fodder and inject cattle with anabolic steroids and anti-histamine drugs, which are highly detrimental to the health of consumers, especially affecting their kidneys and livers.