Online Desk: A total of 61 marginalized female farmers were given lambs free of cost aimed at improving their living and livelihood condition through rearing the sheep properly.

Each of them was given four female sheep and one male lamb in two phases.

Earlier, they were imparted two-day training in this regard.

On behalf of the “Up-scaling of small-scale sheep rearing model for land production in Barind area” project, Krishi Gobeshona Foundation (KGF) distributed the lambs among farmers of different places in Godagari and Paba upazilas in the district.

The Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at Rajshahi University (RU) has been implementing the project financially supported by KGF with the main thrust of elevating the rural people through income generating activities.

Earlier, 59 grassroots farmers were given sheep on behalf of their previously implemented “Validation of Good Practices of On-farm Lamb Production System” project.

A lamb distribution ceremony was organized at Narkelbaria campus of RU on Tuesday afternoon.

RU Vice-chancellor (VC) Professor Golam Sabbir Sattar attended and addressed the ceremony as the chief guest, while Pro-VCs Prof Sultan-Ul-Islam and Prof Humayun Kabir spoke as special guests with former Dean of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Faculty and Principal Investigator of the project Professor Jalal Uddin Sarder in the chair.

Faculty Dean Prof Khandaker Mozaffar Hossain, Registrar Prof Tariqul Hassan, Proctor Prof Asabul Haque and Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Hemayetul Islam also spoke.

Prof Jalal Uddin Sarder told that they have attained remarkable success through giving the sheep under the project.

In his remarks, VC Professor Golam Sabbir Sattar said boosting lamb farming can be the best way of meeting the existing demands of animal protein besides improving living and livelihood conditions of the people, particularly the marginalized and ethnic minorities, in the region.

Promotion of commercial sheep farming can also be an effective means of exploring the vast opportunity to boost woolen fiber and production of more meat and milk.

Prof Jalal Uddin Sarder said quick economic growth of the region can be possible through proper uses and development of livestock resources and urged the rural people to boost commercial sheep farming to meet the nutritional demand.

As a whole, the project intends to boost the supply of nutritious lamb meat with improving the living and livelihood conditions of the marginal farmers through rearing lambs.