On a friend's advice, Nazim Majhi (40) of Bhola started a farm with 10 pairs of local pigeons about four years ago. He now keeps about 80 pairs of racer, mili, giribaz, resekar and machi breeds, and earns Tk 30,000 to 40,000 a month selling them.

Nazim is the son of Md Abul Sattar of Sildar Bari in Ward 1 of Dhania union, Bhola Sadar upazila. A fisherman by trade, he changed his fortunes with the pigeon farm.

"I used to support my family by fishing," he said. "Whenever a fishing ban was imposed, I struggled to run the household. Four years ago, during a ban, I was sitting on the bank of the Meghna at Tulatuli worrying about my family. My friend Yamin Howlader sat beside me and asked what was wrong. When I told him, he advised me to keep pigeons."

"Within four days I spent Tk 10,000 building a pigeon house next to our home and bought 10 pairs of local pigeons from different markets," he said. "Within six months the house was full. In the first year I sold pigeons worth Tk 50,000 to 60,000, and the next year Tk 1 lakh to 1.5 lakh. That is how my income kept growing. Now I keep other breeds too."

Nazim said feed now costs Tk 10,000 to 15,000 a month, while monthly income is Tk 30,000 to 40,000. With money from selling pigeons he has also bought a trawler, which he sometimes takes out fishing.

His wife, Rahima Begum, said she helps her husband with the farm alongside the housework. "Before the pigeon farm, life was very hard when fishing was closed. Since the farm, there has been no hardship. We lack nothing now and are doing very well."

Bhola District Livestock Officer Indrajit Kumar Mondal told Jagonews that the livestock department had given advice and training at various times to many pigeon farmers like Nazim, who kept in regular contact and succeeded in farming pigeons commercially.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.