Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI), a state-run national research organization under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock was entrusted to conduct research on livestock development of the country. The institute started functioning in 1985 on a land area of 500 acres. The major mandates of BLRI are identification of problem and prospect of livestock production, development of technologies, their on-farm testing, socio-economic evaluation and first –hand extension and publication of research knowledge & findings. Food safety, diversification of inputs and products and their value addition and counseling of farmers and entrepreneurs are the activities of the institute being emerged with the on-going process of transformation of subsistence livestock keeping into input supported commercial systems. BLRI, envisaging challenges for achieving a faster economic growth and food security is keeping pace with the process of globalization, food inflation & climatic changes. BLRI, so far, developed 75 technologies & packages and has been playing pioneering role in conservation of 24 different types of farm animals and poultry species, 43 different varieties of fodder crops of native and exotic origins. There are some nutrition and feeding technologies such as urea molasses straw (UMS), fresh and wet preservation of straw, green grass preservation, maize stover preservation widely used by the farmers. BLRI, responding to field demand of training on technologies, is training annually about 2000 farmers, entrepreneurs and training of trainers (TOT) and also jointly implementing MS and PhD research works of different universities and supporting university internship programme. As far as ICT is concerned, BLRI Scientists have computer supports and their own web site (www.blri.gov.bd), local Area Network (LAN), PMIS, LIS etc.

The existing research facilities of BLRI either in labs or in animal research stations for supporting biotechnological, genetic engineering or nutritional research are even equivalent to world standard and domestic or international proposal for twining or tripling of research facilities are always opened for mutual interests. Research capacity building on climate related issues and related science and knowledge or flow of related information are important to support on-going transformation process of traditional farm animal production into input oriented commercial systems and vision for quality nutrition and food security for majority of people by 2021 of the present government for research and development of livestock and poultry sector. At present, BLRI has eight Research Divisions, namely, Animal Production Research Division, Poultry Production Research Division, Animal Health Research Division, Biotechnology Research Division, Sheep & Goat Research Division, Socio-economic Research Division, Systems Research Division, Training, Planning and Technology Testing Division and two existing Regional Stations and three regional stations are new under construction through development project to support the farmers based on regional problems.

Growing market demand and price hiking of meat and milk over the decades owing to population, income & literacy growth and urbanization have been intensifying farmers` slogan for high yielding milk and/or meat producing animals, high biomass yielding and quality fodders, and safe & nutritious feeds. Domestic and global voices are being raised for climate smart animal agriculture, while gradual transformation of traditional animal farming towards the market has been a common phenomenon in recent times. Besides, the visions of growing number of youth, the engines of economic growth of Bangladesh, substantiated the need of knowledge and business oriented proven technologies and good practices for high input supported animal farming.

The BLRI playing a vital role in disaster risk reduction keeping this mind, Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI) has taken a number of initiatives in the form of short/ medium and long term programme/ project/policies addressing to mitigate climate change issues towards for achieving the vision 2021 of the present government for research and development of livestock and poultry sector. To address the climate change & disaster risk issues in livestock research and development (R&D), BLRI has taken various initiatives to resolve those issues related to livestock and poultry production in the country.

Web Address: http://www.blri.gov.bd/