Experience Sharing between PUM, The Netherlands and Udder Health Bangladesh
PUM representative with UHB team PUM representative at Chowdhury Agro Farms
A meeting of experience sharing was held between PUM, Netherlands and Udder Health Bangladesh (UHB), at Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU) on Udder Health Control Program in Bangladesh on 1st August 2019. Dr. Wim Heijser, PUM country coordinator for Bangladesh along with Chattogram local PUM representative Mr. Kalim Uddin joined the meeting from PUM site. The meeting was facilitated by Prof. Dr. Md. Ahasanul Hoque, member, UHB. Colleagues from CVASU, SAU and DLS attended the discussion were Prof. Dr. Abdul Ahad, Dean, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Prof. Dr. AKM Saifuddin, Director External Affairs; Prof. Dr. Md. Alamgir Hossain, Director Research and Extension; Prof. Dr. Bhajan Chandra Das, Director, SAQTVH; Prof. Dr. Yousuf Elahi Chowdhury, Head, Department of medicine and surgery; Prof. Dr. AKM Humayun Kober, Head, Department of Dairy and poultry science; Prof. Dr. Md. Mizanur Rahman, coordinator, UHB; Dr. Sazeda Akter, CVASU; Dr. Delower Hossain, SAU and Dr. Md. Farhad Hossain, DD, Chattogram Division; UHB Research Assistants Dr. Shuvo Singha, Dr. Fatiah Emnoor Eima, Dr. Salma Chowdhury, Dr. Ovirup Paul and Dr. Sanjib Chandra Nath and few postgraduate students from Department of medicine and surgery, CVASU.
With the introduction of the attendee to each other, the program was started with the presentation of Dean on Veterinary Education, research and collaboration at CVASU, followed by talk of Prof. Dr. Md. Mizanur Rahman on Udder Health activities, ongoing research, field veterinarians’ and farmers’ training and future plan of UHB. Dr. Wim discussed the PUM’s activities around the world and their mission in Bangladesh, especially in food security emphasizing dairy, poultry, and fish production and farmers training. In Bangladesh, most of PUM’s livestock activities are co-ordinated by Prof. Dr. Abdul Gaffar Miah, Chairman of the Department of genetics and animal breeding, Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Science, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science & Technology University in Dinajpur. Prof. Miah is also one of the PUM representatives in Bangladesh.
PUM representatives made several queries on Udder Health activities like how we organized farmers training outside of Chattogram, udder health services in Chattogram and current debate on milk qualities. In the open discussion, Dr. Farhad Hossain highlighted DLS leads in the dairy sector, organizing dairy farmers to make the sector more vibrant, etc.
Dr. Mizan acknowledged the contribution of Dr. Ylva Persson, Dr. Gerrit Koop, Dr. Marjolein Derks in initiating UHB activities in Bangladesh and gratefully remembered Prof. Dr. Md. Sayedur Rahman, Dr. Md. Nurul Amin, Dr. Md. Farhad Hossain and Md. Shafiqur Rahman, as resource persons of udder health training. FAO and BARA’s supports were also appreciated.
Dr. Ahasanul Hoque concluded the meeting with remarks on how UHB/CVASU and PUM can work together for dairy development in Bangladesh along with dairy and poultry farmers training. From that meeting both parties expected this would be definitely possible and they expressed their intention to elaborate on this. Dr. Mizan and Dr. Wim will pick this up. At the end of the meeting, the team visited newly operated Mastitis and rumen lab in the Department of medicine and surgery, CVASU and Chowdhury Agro Dairy farms at Silimpur, Chattogram. Mr. Sagar Chowdhury owner of Chowdhury Agro Farms, is one of the motivated dairy farmers in Chattogram who has transformed his intensive farm in to a semi-intensive one considering cow comfort and welfare to improve milk quality. He described his future plan to the team. Malik Mohammed Omar, Vice President, Bangladesh Dairy Farmers association (BDFA) also accompanied the team. The visit was ended with thanks to each other.
