Land leased at Tk 10,000 a kani, grass sold for Tk 70,000, over Tk 40,000 left after costs

The upazila livestock officer calls Karnaphuli upazila in Chattogram the country's second-largest dairy zone. According to a Prothom Alo report, it has about 30,000 cattle on 1,535 farms, and grass is being grown on about 1,200 acres of land to feed them. As the prices of chickpeas, maize, bran, feed and straw keep rising, farmers are turning to fresh grass.

One farmer said he has grown grass on five kani of land. In his words, 'After leasing each kani for Tk 10,000, the grass sells for Tk 70,000. After costs, the income is over Tk 40,000. One planting can be cut six times.' After meeting the needs of his own farm, he sells the rest outside.

Because there is a lot of waterlogged land and the yield is higher, about 90 per cent of the upazila's farmers grow German grass, and some grow Napier Pakchong. Although Pakchong is more nutritious, farmers are turning to German grass for the profit. German grass sells for five to seven taka a kg, and a cow needs 20–28 kg of grass a day.