'Beef can be a forex earner'

Abul Kalam Azad with his cows in his farm at Badhpara village. PHOTO: STAR

Abul Kalam Azad, 37, a government employee in the Department of Labour in Kushtia town, has earned fortune from cow fattening at his village, about eight kilometres from the town.

Azad had bought two cows from a local market in 2000 at Tk 20,000. After one year, he sold those at Tk 80,000 ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha. He earned a profit of about TK 40,000. He decided to expand his project and applied to the Department of Youth development (DYD) for loan but was refused because only people having training from the department are eligible for this.

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Azad asked his younger brother Akram to take training at Kushtia youth development training centre.

After training, Akram applied for loan. The DYD gave him only loan Tk 30,000. Azad took another Tk 30,000 loan from Krishi Bank by mortgaging his land.

Together, it was a meager amount for his plan. Azad borrowed Tk two lakh and bought 14 cows on June 2002 at Tk 1.75 lakh.

The two brothers raised the cows with care and also engaged two persons.

They sold those ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha last year at about Tk 7.50 lakh and earned a net profit of about

Tk three lakh within one year.

Now Azad has 20 cows in his farm. He hopes to earn a profit of over five lakh ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha this year.

"My success encouraged many unemployment youths in the village and they have started this business", Azad told this correspondent during a recent visit to his village.

"Lack of treatment facilities for cows is a major problem in the rural area", Azad said.

He also raised some allegations against government's livestock department officials. They demand extra money whenever any body goes to them for treatment of sick cows, he alleged.

Fodder is another problem, he said. Pasturelands are scarce. The government department should take steps to produce fodder other than grass, he said.

The government should come forward with more facilities to encourage youths in such projects in rural areas. This will solve the unemployment problem to a great extent and increase national wealth.

"Our beef is better than those produced in other countries. This can earn foreign exchange also if the government takes steps to develop the sector", Azad said. He plans to expand the project further.