Bangladesh’s livestock sector is expanding rapidly, driven by increasing demand for milk and meat from a growing and more nutrition-conscious population. Recognizing their importance for food security, nutrition and rural employment, the Government of Bangladesh has prioritized the development of the dairy and beef subsectors.
ASTA is working with national partners to support the sustainable transformation of these value chains through a food systems and sustainable value chain approach.
First assessment
Bangladesh was selected as one of the pilot countries for ASTA implementation in 2018. The government has since implemented a range of policies, programmes and initiatives to promote the development of the livestock sector.
During the inception phase, FAO and UNIDO deployed international and national consultants to conduct extensive fieldwork and stakeholder consultations. In close collaboration with relevant government ministries, the ASTA team engaged with actors across the value chain to identify key strengths, weaknesses, constraints and opportunities. These fed into a shared vision and strategy for an upgraded and more competitive livestock value chain.
Analysis and design
Findings from the value chain analysis
The diagnosis identified several constraints limiting the competitiveness of Bangladesh’s dairy and beef value chains. The most important were limited access to finance and markets for smallholder farmers, weak coordination among value chain actors, insufficient processing technologies and infrastructure, and inadequate support services and consumer confidence.
Despite these challenges, the sector has strong growth potential. Rising demand for safe and nutritious dairy and beef products, together with opportunities to modernize production, processing and distribution, can increase value addition, create rural employment and boost the resilience of Bangladesh’s food security and agrifood system.🐄 Bangladesh dairy and beef sector at a glance
2024
🥛 38.8 million tonnes
Milk production
🥩 2.9 million tonnes
Total meat production
🐄 ≈25 million
Cattle
Vision and upgrading strategy
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ASTA supports Bangladesh’s dairy and beef value chains through an inclusive and sustainable approach aimed at strengthening productivity, market access and food safety. The programme aims to build better integrated value chains by improving production practices and strengthening commercial networks.
The transformation strategy focuses on three priorities: improving farm productivity and business practices among smallholders; increasing the quality and safety of dairy products through stronger collection and certification systems; and enhancing beef safety through improved animal health management and upgraded slaughter facilities.
Key interventions include strengthening farmer and industry associations, promoting traceability and food safety certification, improving market linkages, and empowering consumers to demand safer, higher-quality products. The strategy supports four main areas of action: upgrading smallholder dairy production through training and lead farmer models; establishing public–private milk collection hubs linked to village collection centres; strengthening traditional dairy processing through dedicated training institutes; and formalizing and upgrading slaughter facilities to meet food safety standards.
Latest Publications
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The dairy and beef value chains in Bangladesh. Analysis and strategy design 2019–2024
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The strategy aims to strengthen the competitiveness, inclusiveness and sustainability of the dairy and beef sectors by improving productivity, enhancing...
The livestock sector in Bangladesh
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