Started with 88 garol sheep, Tk 4.93 lakh from lambs in one year; now 142

A retired army man runs a garol (sheep crossbreed) farm in the Shakhahati char of Chilmari upazila, Kurigram. He got the idea while visiting farms around the country during his service. After retiring, in September 2022 he started by bringing 52 garol from India, then another 36, 88 in total. Most were lambs at first, so income took three to four months to begin. The garol is a crossbreed of sheep and weighs about twice as much as a sheep. By day the animals graze on the char pasture, and at night they stay in a tin shed four feet off the ground beside a one-bigha plot of Napier grass. Each morning they also get some Napier grass and maize grain. He says disease is almost non-existent. A five-month-old lamb sells for Tk 10-12 thousand. Over the past year he sold more than 80 lambs for Tk 4.93 lakh. The farm now has 142 garol. Nine farms around the country have been started from his lambs. By his estimate a farm of 100 garol could earn at least Tk 30 lakh a year. Neighbours first thought him foolish, but many on the char now want to start such farms. The report does not give his total investment or costs.