On Wednesday, the Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI) hosted the inception workshop for the project titled “Profitable Napier Silage Preparation for the Present Market and the Future TMR Industry”.
The initiative is implemented by BLRI under the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences (BAS) and funded by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The project aims to develop profitable farms by reducing livestock feed costs through improved grass cultivation management, produce Napier-based silage scientifically and profitably, and introduce a community food bank to ensure uninterrupted feed supply during crises.
Other objectives include analysing soil health and nutritional changes due to grass cultivation and determining the extent of greenhouse gas emissions and atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) absorption. The project is scheduled to run from July 2025 to June 2027.
The workshop was inaugurated by BLRI Director General Dr Shakila Faruk, who attended as the chief guest. Special guest participation included Dr Md Zillur Rahman, Director (Research) of the institute. The opening ceremony was chaired by Dr Sadeq Ahmed, Head of the Training, Planning and Technology Testing Department.
The event commenced at 10am in the institute’s training dormitory with recitations from the Holy Quran and the Bhagavad Gita. Following this, Dr Mohammad Khairul Bashar, Senior Scientific Officer and Principal Investigator of the project, delivered a welcome address, outlining the project’s summary and its implementation progress.
An open discussion followed, moderated by Dr Sadeq Ahmed, during which representatives from various participating organisations, as well as department heads and senior officials of BLRI, posed questions regarding different aspects of the project.
During the guest speeches, Dr Shakila Faruk emphasised the current challenge in livestock rearing: Reducing feed costs. She highlighted that increasing grass cultivation and feeding livestock grass-based diets are essential alternatives, but resent practices rely heavily on concentrate feeds, limiting farmers’ profitability.
She noted that the current government prioritises reducing livestock feed prices and that such research initiatives are indispensable for achieving this goal. Dr Faruk also stressed the importance of conducting more science-based workshops and seminars to benefit the scientific community.
The workshop was attended by departmental and office heads, scientists, and officials from various levels of BLRI, representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, and Bangladesh Academy of Sciences participated online via the Zoom platform.
