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Speakers at a seminar on Tuesday said the country's poultry industry is capable of increasing both demand and supply of quality nutrition to build a healthy nation.
In this regard, the poultry growers need to focus more on research and innovation for stable production and ensuring bio-security in every steps of the supply chain.
The observation came at the two-day 11th International Poultry Seminar-2019, organised by World's Poultry Science Association-Bangladesh Branch (WPSA-BB) at a city hotel.
Scientists and researchers from 15 countries, including host Bangladesh, are scheduled to present nearly 100 scientific papers at the event.
At the inaugural session, WPSA-BB President Shamsul Arefin Khaled said the nutritious food is the most important factor for physical and mental growth.
Since Bangladesh is heading towards a developing nation by 2024, it needs to ensure sustainable and equitable food security for a healthy nation.
Starting in the mid 1990's, the country's poultry industry has gained the ability to improve both the demand and supply sides of quality nutrition and the country now needs a socio-economic model of healthy living, Mr. Khaled added.
Mentioning improvement of rural economy vital for developing national economy, he said: "For a vibrant rural economy, we must concentrate on the progress of poultry industry there."
WPSA global chapter President and a Professor of China Agricultural University (CAU) in Beijing Dr Ning Yang said Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in industrial poultry production and the industry has the capacity to provide quality protein to the nation.
In this regard, local industry people should lay utmost emphasis on research and innovation to increase poultry production through maintaining scientific standards.
Presenting a paper tiled 'Emergence of Asian Food Basket: Opportunities & Challenges', India-based Huvepharma SEA (Pune) Pvt. Ltd Director O.P. Singh said that in last 50 years, global population has increased by 105 per cent while food production has grown by 157 per cent.
This trend indicates that the demand for food is increasing and will continue to increase while Asia will lead the world's food production, he said, adding that so countries like Bangladesh and India have huge potentials to participate in the process.
Bangladesh Brand Forum (BBF) founder Shariful Islam, in a presentation on 'Poultry Sector Branding Strategy and Road Map 2024', said per capita egg consumption in the country needs to raise to around 170 pieces and chicken meat to 11.5 kgs per year by 2024.
Currently, Bangladeshi people eat around 90 eggs per capita a year while chicken meat consumption is around 8.0 kgs, he added.
Meanwhile, at a view-exchange session with the journalists, WPSA-BB President Mr. Khaled said registration should be made mandatory for all poultry growers to bring them under proper monitoring and quality control.
Besides, required training for starters in the sector should also be made a condition to get registration for industrial level poultry farming.
If bio-security in poultry sector doesn't get priority from the entrepreneurs, not only potential export market will be ruined but also local demand for poultry meat and eggs might fall, he said.
The WPSA-BB president said that no medicine should be used in the farms without consulting with doctors and a collaborative initiative is required to make farmers, specially the rural ones, aware of such practice.
Condemning the use of poultry litter as fish feed due to presence of toxic components in it, Mr. Khaled said poultry waste could only be used as bio-fertiliser after proper treatment.
Department of Livestock Services (DLS) Director General Dr Hiresh Ranjan Bhowmik, Bangladesh Agriculture University (BAU) Professor Dr Sukumar Saha, WPSA-BB General Secretary Mahabub Hassan, USA-based Cobb-Vantress Inc Senior Director (Genetics) Frank Siewerdt, among others, also spoke at different sessions of the first-day programme.
After completion of the two-day Seminar, a three-day International Poultry Show will be held at the city's International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) from March 7-9.