Md Rezaul Karim of Gabkhan Bazar in Jhalakathi Sadar upazila dreamed from childhood of standing on his own feet through work. So far he has faced no loss. He first kept two cows to meet his family's need for milk, and his interest grew from there. His farm now has 22 cattle, 18 cows and four bull calves. Fifteen of the cows give more than 100 litres of milk a day, which sells at Tk 70 a litre. Three workers look after the animals.

Rezaul Karim said he had dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur since childhood and went on to higher education. With a Tk 5 lakh loan from his retired father he became a partner in a brick kiln, where workers from Satkhira were employed. To meet the family's need for milk he brought two cows from Satkhira with the workers' help, and after that his interest in rearing cows grew.

He gave up his share in the brick kiln, bought four more cows and started the farm. When space ran short he built a new shed, which now holds 22 cattle, large and small, all Friesian and Jersey breeds. He opened a shop in Daktarpatti to make sweets from the farm's milk, and also sells milk to other shops.

To supply fodder he grows grass on five and a half bigha of land, and when the Aman rice is harvested he buys and stores plenty of straw. Three workers look after the farm regularly, for whom he pays Tk 50,000 a month in wages. At last Eid-ul-Azha and at other times he sold 10 cattle for more than Tk 14 lakh.

Rezaul said he washes the cow dung and urine with water from a motor into a tank, from which a biogas plant supplies gas by pipe for household use. The gas is used as everyday fuel.

On treatment, he said that because he trained in livestock rearing with the Department of Youth Development in 1998, he gives first aid himself. When better treatment is needed he takes the animals to the Sadar upazila livestock office.

Mizanur Rahman, a veterinarian at the Sadar upazila livestock office, said: "Rezaul Karim of Gabkhan Bazar in Dhansiri union has become self-reliant through his dairy farm. He is an example for farmers to follow. We are giving him all the advice and support we can."

Sadar upazila livestock officer Dr Faruk Hossain said: "There are no foreign cattle in the market now; cattle from the country's own farmers are sold. We encourage entrepreneurs to set up new farms across the country. Rezaul Karim has succeeded in building a dairy farm, and many are being encouraged to set up farms after seeing him."

Deputy Commissioner Ashrafur Rahman said: "If animals can be kept free of disease and healthy, GDP can be earned through milk, meat and eggs, and the country and farmers can become well off and self-reliant. There is now skilled and experienced veterinary care, and everyone is being advised to stay aware."

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