The country’s online-based sacrificial cattle markets are becoming popular ahead of the Eid- ul- Adha.
The authority concerned is getting more spontaneous participation from both buyers and sellers than they had imagined.
The government has already launched an online platform-based sacrificial cattle haat, believed to be the biggest such platform to reduce buyers and sellers’ sufferings considering the pandemic situation.
The initiative was taken to save cattle farmers, traders, and marginal farmers from financial loss in this ongoing coronavirus crisis and stop further transmission of this deadly virus, said government high-ups.
Meanwhile, besides the capital city, almost every district administration in association with the district livestock department has taken initiative to introduce such common digital platforms to facilitate their respective district farmers.
Many district administrations have created websites and apps on the initiative. As it is not possible to create websites in many places, the district-upazila administration has opened a page on Facebook, a popular social media in the country.
According to government sources, a good number of district administrations have officially inaugurated their respective online sacrificial animal markets this week, while many other districts already launched such an opportunity. District administrators have also shown the uses of such platforms to farmers and users after their launching.
Based on government information, it was learned that to avoid the risk of coronavirus infection, the district administrations officially inaugurated the cattle markets in several districts including Narsingdi, Sirajganj, Chandpur, and Chuadanga this week.
Dhaka Divisional Commissioner Md Mustafizur Rahman inaugurated a website called 'Online Biki kini Narsingdi's Sacrifice Haat' and a mobile app called 'Narsingdi's Online Sacrifice Haat' through a zoom conference. Narsingdi administrator Commissioner Syeda Farhana Kaunain presided over the zoom conference.
Considering the social distance and health protection, the ‘Digital Animal Haat Buying-Selling App’ has been launched for 6 districts of Rajshahi division through Sirajganj district administration. Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner Humayun Kabir Khandaker inaugurated the app in association with the district administration.
Chuadanga’s farmers have also started selling their sacrificial animals through httpsfoodfornation.gov.bdqurbani2020. This is a government website which was launched at the beginning of this month. Any potential seller can visit and register themselves for free and upload photographs, videos, and information about their animals on the site for display.
According to the ICT Division, buyers after selecting their animals from the site, will contact the sellers and can pick up the animal or take home delivery by paying its owner.
“We have taken the initiative to save cattle farmers, traders, and marginal farmers from financial loss in this ongoing coronavirus crisis and stop further transmission of this deadly virus.
This Food for Nation platform is going to be the country’s biggest matchmaking digital haat for sacrificial animals,” State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak had said while inaugurating digital haat recently.