From Tk 45,000 profit on two share-reared cows to a farm of 100-plus cows; over Tk 8 lakh a month from milk

In 1993 a man in Karnaphuli upazila, Chattogram, who then ran a small family grocery in the village, dreamed of becoming a big farmer. He had no capital, so he took two cows from a neighbour to rear on a share basis. When the cows were sold, his share of the profit was Tk 45,000. With it he bought one milking cow and started the farm in his own house. Step by step the herd grew from income; in 2016 he bought 12 shatak of land for the farm for Tk 70 lakh. Today he has over a hundred Friesian, Sahiwal and Jersey cows and calves, and German grass is grown on about five and a half acres for feed. The farm yields 350 to 400 litres of milk a day, sold at Tk 70 a litre. From milk alone he gets over Tk 8 lakh a month, with at least Tk 4 lakh left after costs. But because feed prices have risen, profit is now lower than he expected. He, his two sons and five workers run the farm. From the farm's income he built a house costing Tk 35 lakh; his assets tied up in the farm are at least Tk 3 crore. The local livestock officer says many in the area are being encouraged to start farms by seeing him.