The government of Bangladesh has initiated a five-year project aimed at enhancing milk and meat production through selective breeding of genetically superior bulls. The initiative, titled “Proven Bull Production for Enhanced Milk and Meat Yield,” will commence in the 2025–26 fiscal year with full government funding of BDT 69 crore.
The Department of Livestock Services (DLS) and Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI) will jointly implement the project across 93 upazilas in 18 districts under four administrative divisions.
As part of the project, 400 bull calves will be selected based on the average milk yield of their dams. These calves will be sourced from local and crossbred lines including Deshi-Friesian, Deshi-Sahiwal, Red Chittagong, Pabna, Munshiganj, and Grey breeds from northern Bangladesh. After evaluating their performance, 200 bulls will be shortlisted, and semen will be collected from them. Only bulls that meet high reproductive and genetic benchmarks will be certified as "proven bulls."
Dr. M Mostafizur Rahman, the project director at DLS, stated that using proven bulls will help improve livestock genetics, resulting in higher yields of milk and meat.
The project aims to sustainably increase livestock productivity, preserve and enhance indigenous genetic traits, and build the capacity of farmers and field officers through training.
Officials from the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock said the initiative aligns with national food security goals by improving livestock performance. They also referred to the National Livestock Development Policy 2007, which emphasizes the need for rigorous genetic evaluation and selection of breeding animals.
According to project documents, some hybrid cows in rural areas already produce 25 to 30 liters of milk daily. However, maintaining such productivity requires the use of high-quality semen. Uncontrolled breeding practices and indiscriminate use of semen have contributed to declining performance in high-yield cows. This underscores the urgent need for genetically evaluated breeding bulls.
The project will train 34,375 farmers, including 7,500 elite cow owners who will receive incentives under the "Elite Cow" program. Proven bull semen will be distributed among farmers, along with support packages that include vaccines, medicines, and feed.
Despite the World Health Organization’s recommendation of 250 ml of daily milk consumption per person, Bangladesh's per capita daily dairy intake remains significantly lower. The Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2022 reports that average daily per capita milk and dairy consumption is just 34.1 grams, highlighting the critical need to improve livestock productivity.
