Flood victims in north find it hard to save or sell their livestock

Livestock have become a double-edged sword for many flood-affected people in northern districts as they can neither keep or sell their animals for a good price.

"I was pinning my hope on my eight cattle. I thought I would sell them for a good price during Eid-ul Azha and use the money for my daughter's wedding," said Abdul Mannan, a farmer in Kurhigram.

"But they are now a burden to me. My house is under water, where can I keep them?" he asked.

"No one is ready to buy my cows even at half the price because everyone has been affected by the floods."

"All my hopes have ended with the floods," said the farmer.

Like Mannan, thousands of people in flood-hit areas in the north are looking for shelters.

Mannan is one of the hundreds of others who have taken shelter on Kurhigram-Nageshwari road, Kurhigram-Gulkur Bazar road and Patchgachi WAPDA road.

His wife, two daughters and son are with him.

He told bdnews24.com that they took shelter on the dam on Saturday and erected a polythene canopy to save the family and the cattle from rains.

"I was expecting a price of Tk 40,000 for each cattle, but now, I am afraid I would not get the half of it," he said.

This is the second time in a year that Kurhigram has been hit by flooding.

Mannan said many other farmers had been nurturing their cows and goats to earn money by selling them as sacrificial animals on Eid.

"The fodders were damaged during the first floods. Now, I can't afford to buy fodders for them. They are losing weight and getting thinner," Mannan said.

In the absence of enough food for humans, the farmers wondered what they would feed their animals.