Productivity improvement of Garole sheep through feeding and nutritional management in Satkhira area of Bangladesh

The potentialities of Garole sheep to meet present and future demands of rapidly growing population deserves special attention because of its extraordinary merits rarely or not even observed in other sheep breeds of the world. Considering the above state-of-the art, this research was undertaken to identify socio-demographic condition of the farmers and recent husbandry practices of Garole sheep in the Sundarban delta region of some selected areas of Satkhira district (Assasuni and Shamnagar) and to investigate economic feed-level production packages for maximum productivity of Garole sheep through scientific approaches of feeding and nutritional management. The successful research will ensure improvement of livelihood of Garole farmers and assure food and nutrition security in Bangladesh.

The research is carried out at Shamnagar and Assasuni Upazila of Satkhira district. A baseline field survey was conducted with the pretested questionnaire to get basic information on recent husbandry and management practices of Garole sheep in the selected areas. Feeding trials are conducting with protein and energy based diet to determine productive and reproductive performances of Garole sheep.

a. Socio-demographic condition of the Garole sheep farmers in the selected Upazilas of Shamnagar and Assasuni of Satkhira district identified. b. Current productive and reproductive performances of Garole sheep in the selected areas identified. c. Recent husbandry practices of Garole sheep in the selected areas of Satkhira district identified. d. Initially, Birth weight of lamb (male & female), litter size, weight and age at weaning, cumulative body weight gain, post-partum heat period of dams, gestation length, lambing intervals were partially identified and addressed. e. Other parameters are in progress and will be addressed in the next available reports.

Investigation of economic feed-level production packages for maximum productivity of Garole sheep through scientific approaches of feeding and nutritional management will facilitated different productive and reproductive parameters. These will increase meat production and income, improve livelihood, knowledge and skills of the Garole sheep farmers. Institutional capacity for education and research on Garole sheep will also be developed and help to achieve SDG goal. This study not only sheds light on the current state of farmers and Garole sheep management practices in Satkhira districts of Bangladesh, but it also serves as a call to action for stakeholders to collaborate in improving the socioeconomic conditions of farmers and the overall development of livestock sector in Bangladesh.

Investigation of economic feed-level production packages for maximum productivity of Garole sheep through scientific approaches of feeding and nutritional management will facilitated different productive and reproductive parameters. These will increase meat production and income, improve livelihood, knowledge and skills of the Garole sheep farmers. Institutional capacity for education and research on Garole sheep will also be developed and help to achieve SDG goal. This study not only sheds light on the current state of farmers and Garole sheep management practices in Satkhira districts of Bangladesh, but it also serves as a call to action for stakeholders to collaborate in improving the socioeconomic conditions of farmers and the overall development of livestock sector in Bangladesh.

The successful completion of the project will create awareness of the Garole seep farmers through generating income, improve livelihood since many unemployed youths, poor farmers as well as industrialist have been becoming interested in this beneficiary Garole sheep farming. Institutional capacity for education and research on Garole sheep will also be developed and help to achieve SDG goal. Recent days, Bangladesh government is also emphasizing the raising of sheep and farmers are becoming aware about sheep farming for the production of lamb. NGO’s are coming forward to support farmers because Garole sheep farming either small scale or commercial level is likely to be a tool to generate income for the famers specially for the women’s.