November 30, 2007

Cyclone causes US$43 million livestock damages in Bangladesh

Bangladesh's livestock sector suffered a loss of around 3 billion taka (US$42.9 million) in the recent cyclone Sidr, local newspaper The Daily Star reported Thursday (November 29).

According to the Department of Livestock Services, over 10,000 cattle and 2.2 million poultry were killed alone in four severely affected districts in the coastal area.

A total of over 4.5 million cattle and 27 million poultry were affected in the devastating cyclone in 12 southern and southwestern districts. A large number of cattle and poultry are feared to have died due to various post-cyclone infectious diseases.

As part of long-term measures, the livestock department will develop infrastructure for cattle and poultry farms.

The deadly cyclone, one of the fiercest disasters that hit Bangladesh in the last 131 years, slammed the country's southern and southwestern coastal areas on November 15 night, leaving over 3000 dead and millions affected in 30 out of the country's 64 districts.

A preliminary estimate puts the total loss from the cyclone at US$2.31 billion dollars, including rural infrastructure, schools, crops and livestock.