Agriculture Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid said the lumpy skin disease (LSD) vaccine developed by Bangladeshi scientists will play an important role in controlling the disease among livestock and help reduce losses for farmers.

He made the remarks at the inauguration of an LSD and goatpox vaccination campaign and vaccination programme featuring vaccines developed by the Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI) in Cumilla on Friday.

The minister said the locally produced vaccine would reduce farmers’ costs, improve availability and make the livestock sector more sustainable once it is brought to market.

Aminur Rashid said Bangladesh needs around 25 million doses of LSD vaccine every year. The country had previously relied on imported vaccines, but efforts are now underway to develop the vaccine domestically.

Addressing farmers, he said regular vaccination was crucial to keeping livestock healthy. Vaccination against LSD must be administered according to the prescribed schedule, he said. If the disease appears on a farm, it can quickly spread to other animals. So maximum importance must be given to preventive measures.

The minister also stressed the cultivation of newly developed, high-nutrition grass varieties to reduce livestock feed costs. He said the new grass variety developed by BLRI contains around 18 percent protein. Cultivating this grass would enable farmers to produce high-quality animal feed at a lower cost and reduce their dependence on concentrated feed.

He also said the government was taking up a new programme to conserve and expand the country’s traditional Black Bengal goat breed. Under the programme, entrepreneurs would be developed at the union level, while training, improved goat breeds and marketing support would be provided. Women and young entrepreneurs would be given priority under the programme.

The Black Bengal goat is one of Bangladesh’s most valuable livestock resources. Its meat and hides have markets internationally. The minister said planned expansion and scientific management of the sector could make a significant contribution to the rural economy, job creation and growth in export earnings.