Mixed experienceA farmer in Charmonosha village, Bhola Sadar

Two bulls of 22 and 18 maund, raised for 3 years, still unsold before Eid; below Tk 15 lakh means a loss

A farmer in Bhola raised two huge bulls on local feed for about three years, but just before Eid he had not found a buyer at his price. Big-bull buyers are few in Bhola's markets, and feed prices have gone up.

A farmer in Charmonosha village, Rajapur union, Bhola Sadar, keeps 10 cattle on his farm. The two biggest are Holstein Friesians, one of about 22 maund and one of 18 maund. They were born as calves of two cows he bought from a farm in nearby Malerhat, and for about three years he has raised them on local feed. Each animal gets 18 kg of concentrate a day in two feeds, along with German grass, sweet pumpkin, potato, maize and wheat bran. The asking prices are Tk 8 lakh and Tk 7 lakh, and by his reckoning selling below Tk 15 lakh for the pair would be a loss. Over the past year and a half a 50 kg sack of bran has gone up by Tk 250 to 400. A trader from Maijdee, Noakhali, offered Tk 11 lakh but wanted to take them on credit, so he refused. The real problem is buyers: people in Bhola usually buy cattle at Tk 1 lakh to 1.5 lakh, and the district livestock officer says most buyers want animals under Tk 1 lakh. Of his seven smaller animals, four have already sold at good prices, but he is anxious about the two big ones even this close to Eid. If they stay unsold he will have to feed them expensive feed for another year. Another farmer in the same union asked Tk 15 lakh for five animals and was forced to sell them for Tk 11.5 lakh.

Lessons

1.Before building a very large, expensive animal, check whether your local markets have buyers at that price; most Bhola buyers want small to medium cattle.
2.Think hard about credit offers, and count the cost of another year of feed if the animal does not sell.
3.Rising bran prices make long holding periods costlier, so a faster cycle of small and medium animals carries less risk.

We published this with the person's permission, without revealing who they are.

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Lessons

1.Before building a very large, expensive animal, check whether your local markets have buyers at that price; most Bhola buyers want small to medium cattle.

2.Think hard about credit offers, and count the cost of another year of feed if the animal does not sell.

3.Rising bran prices make long holding periods costlier, so a faster cycle of small and medium animals carries less risk.