Started with a cow and heifer bought for Tk 1.55 lakh; now 20 cattle and 90-100 litres of milk a day

A young man from Chakaria completed his bachelor's in 2021 and master's in 2022 at the University of Chittagong. While studying he paid his way by selling plant saplings online with friends, which planted the idea of being an entrepreneur rather than a job-holder. Before finishing his studies he bought a cow and a heifer for Tk 1.55 lakh and started a farm. He took a Tk 2 lakh loan from a private organisation to build a shed and leased 160 decimals of land for fodder. The farm now has 20 cattle (11 cows and 9 calves) and three employees. It yields 90-100 litres of milk a day, sold wholesale in the Pekua and Badarkhali markets for about Tk 7,000 a day. Calf sales bring about Tk 7 lakh a year. After staff pay, feed, medicine and other costs, about Tk 11 lakh a year is left, which he counts as his own salary. His aim is milk and nutrition, not meat. At the start he heard criticism from locals and his parents were unhappy; now the family supports him. The farm was registered with the district livestock office on 13 January 2024, and the upazila livestock office gives advice, treatment and vaccines.