In four years the bull 'Kala Pahar' has reached 1,000kg. The asking price for the Holstein Friesian is Tk 7 lakh, and Kala Pahar has become a sensation in Mirsharai this Eid-ul-Azha season.

Its owner is Sohel, of Hashimnagar in the Mazumdar Hat area of No 11 Moghadia union, Mirsharai upazila. A small farmer, Sohel raises cattle as a hobby. The bull was named Kala Pahar ('black mountain') because it is black and huge. It is about eight to nine feet long, eats at least 25-30kg of concentrate, straw and green grass a day, and has to be bathed four or five times a day.

Sohel said Kala Pahar had never been given injections or feed. But animal feed is very expensive now, and he spends Tk 400 to Tk 500 a day on average feeding the bull, a lot of money over four years. Taking all that into account, the price has been set at Tk 7 lakh. The bull will be sold at Tk 550 a kg live weight.

"I have no plans to take Kala Pahar to any market. I want to sell him from home. But if he is sold within Mirsharai, I will let the buyer keep him at my house until Eid if needed," Sohel said.

Neighbour Zillur Rahman said everyone in the area knew Sohel raised cattle, but a bull as big as Kala Pahar had never been seen there before.

Moghadia union parishad chairman Jahangir Hossain Master said: "Sohel from my union has fattened cattle for the Eid sacrifice this year as every year. His cattle are big. This time he is asking Tk 7 lakh for a big black bull. I hope he can sell it at a good price."

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