Instead of chasing jobs in the city, two brothers overcame many difficulties to make their own name. What began in 2022 with just three cows, from a plan to start a farm, is today a full-fledged farm of 22 cattle. They named it Insan Agro. This is the story of the struggle of two Khulna brothers, Zobayer Abdullah, the elder, and Junayed Abdullah, the younger, whose drive and hard work have made them an inspiration for local young people.

Insan Agro is at a place called Mallik-er Mor in Batiaghata upazila of Khulna district. The farm has been built on about one bigha of land, with a cowshed, a drainage system, a separate room for preparing cattle feed and separate living quarters.

Zobayer Abdullah and Junayed Abdullah said they started the farm on a small scale with three cows, using their savings and some loans. At that time they faced many challenges in arranging feed, medicine and housing for the cattle. But they did not give up and, overcoming the difficulties, built up a full farm step by step. The farm now also provides a livelihood for one family.

Zobayer Abdullah said the first year was very hard. Feed prices suddenly rose, and buying cattle at the market cost a lot of money. Trying to manage everything, they nearly fell into a debt trap. With no good vets for animal treatment around the village, sick cattle often did not get treatment in time, and they suffered financial losses.

He said they then learned step by step from YouTube and began using technology, and in time built up the farm's management to suit themselves. They learned about feed management, breeding and treatment from YouTube and various online platforms, and gradually modernised the farm. The farm now has 22 cattle, all prepared for Eid-ul-Azha, each weighing on average 150-450 kg.

Junayed Abdullah said they raised each cow with great care, buying them from different places. They stress feed, water, cleanliness and everything else: feeding on time, bathing and care. Regular health checks are done, and the cattle's housing and the surroundings of the farm are cleaned daily. When they started in 2022, farming was very difficult for them, but they did not give up, and by sticking at it, everything eventually became easy.

Junayed said responsibility matters more than business. Because they raise cattle with a sense of responsibility, farming and cattle rearing now seem easy to them. All the cattle on the farm are now ready for sale this Eid-ul-Azha.

Zobayer Abdullah said their dream is to make the farm bigger. If they can build a self-sufficient farm, they can create jobs for many people and also become better off themselves.

He said farming would gather pace with government support. Farmers in particular struggle to buy cattle feed, and a subsidy on feed would help farmers see profits. If good vets and training were also provided, entrepreneurs could build farms on a bigger scale.

Junayed Abdullah said they want to modernise the farm's management further. Many show interest in farming but stumble for lack of management, which is an obstacle. So in future they plan to transform the farm on a bigger scale with better management and more staff.

Md Shahedul Gazi, who works at Insan Agro, said he lives on the farm with his family and looks after the cattle 24 hours a day. The work felt a little hard at first, but now caring for the cattle gives him a lot of joy.

He said he feeds the cattle by 9am, gives the midday feed by 1pm, and the night feed between 4pm and evening. When it is very hot, the cattle are wiped down and bathed regularly.

Morshedul Islam, a local resident of Mallik-er Mor, said farming is a very good business. Since it is near his home, he sometimes visits Insan Agro, and he likes the brothers' initiative very much, especially the cleanliness of the farm. Many farms smell bad, but he found no smell here. It is good for everyone when young people take the initiative, he said.

Batiaghata upazila livestock officer Dr Md Tarikul Islam said several farms including Insan Agro Farm had recently been inspected, and they are raising cattle in line with the rules. His office is also working round the clock on vaccination and farmers' urgent needs, he said.

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