This farm began small with just five cows. It grew gradually and now has more than 300 cattle, and with goats, buffaloes and sheep, about 500 animals in all. More than 200 cattle and buffaloes were sold at this year's Eid ul-Adha. The farm is RBC Agro Tourism Limited, set up beside the Domkhali embankment in Saherkhali union of Mirsarai upazila in Chattogram.

A local resident, Shahidul Islam Chowdhury, started the farm with just five cows 12 years ago. He gradually increased the herd, 10 cows, then 25, and now more than 300. Besides cattle, the farm keeps buffaloes, sheep, goats, ducks, chickens and pigeons, and has ponds for fish farming. At this Eid ul-Adha, 25 buffaloes were sold along with the cattle. The farm covers 22 acres. Napier grass and maize are grown on the owner's own land for the cattle, buffaloes and other animals, and straw from rice grown on about 3 acres is also fed to them.

On a visit to RBC Agro Tourism, several workers were seen tending the cattle. Young cattle are kept together, while the large ones are kept in separate stalls, and the buffaloes are housed apart. Some workers were bathing the cattle, some feeding them and others cleaning up.

Farm manager Rashed Nur told Jago News: "Our farm started with 5 cows. Now there are about 500 cattle, buffaloes and goats together. We have Sahiwal, Jersey, Bhutti and Hasa breeds of cattle."

Owner Shahidul Islam Chowdhury told Jago News: "I started small with 5 cows in 2012 and gradually expanded. Alongside cattle, I started raising goats, buffaloes and sheep. Now the farm has about 500 animals, including cattle, goats and sheep. About 15 people work on the farm, permanent and temporary. The animals are fed on feed produced on our own land. We do not need any feed from outside."

Mirsarai upazila livestock officer Dr Shuvo Sutradhar told Jago News: "There are many farmers, large and small, in Mirsarai upazila, and RBC Agro is one of the notable ones. Though it started with a small number of cattle, it has now become one of the biggest farms in the upazila. The livestock office has helped them at various times."

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