Real experiences, published anonymously and with permission.
A goat farmer in Sharsha, Jashore, in a bdnews24.com Bangla report
Agriculture & farmingJashore
Four goats bought for 20,000 taka in 2012 sold for 40,000 within a year. The herd is now 300 goats of four breeds, worth about 15 lakh taka.
A woman running a dairy farm in Begumganj, Noakhali, in a Prothom Alo report
Agriculture & farmingNoakhali
A pair of gold earrings sold for 50,000 taka bought one Friesian cow nearly two decades ago. The herd is now 60 head giving 200 litres a day and about a lakh taka a month after costs, yet a flood killed 15 animals and brought 1,000 taka of assistance.
A cattle farmer in Taraganj, Rangpur, in a Prothom Alo report
Agriculture & farmingRangpur
Over two years this one bull ate more than 200,000 taka of bought feed and still costs 500-600 taka a day. It did not sell at the Eid haat.
A fish hatchery owner in Subarnachar, Noakhali, in a Prothom Alo report
Agriculture & farmingNoakhali
He started in 2012 on 20 decimals of inherited land with a 20,000-taka NGO loan. Seventeen hatcheries over 15 acres now produce 1 to 1.5 crore renu and fry a year, leaving about 10 lakh taka of net income.
A crab farmer in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, in a Prothom Alo report
Agriculture & farmingCox's Bazar
To escape the disease risk that kills shrimp fry, this farmer turned a 100-decimal gher over to crab. The 1,700 fry released in May at 2 taka each are expected to reach 350-700 grams by December, when crab sells at 500-1,200 taka a kg.
A young shrimp farmer in Bagerhat, in a Dhaka Post report
Agriculture & farmingBagerhat
He started shrimp farming on 60 decimals in 2017 while still studying. The first year made a profit, which went straight into a second gher; fish prices then fell, feed prices rose, and three straight years of losses followed.
A biofloc fish farmer in Thakurgaon, in a Dhaka Post report
Agriculture & farmingThakurgaon
Two tanks, tarpaulin, fingerlings and electrical gear cost about 400,000 taka. Two stocking rounds took 180,000 taka of fish, and only 60,000 taka worth was ever sold.
An award-winning fish and livestock farmer in Ishwardi, Pabna, in a Prothom Alo report
Agriculture & farmingPabna
This farmer, decorated with national awards in 2010 and 2011, ran over 50 bighas of fish ponds, 200 cattle and 5,000 chickens. Caught in bank loans from 2012, he now has 11 cases against him and his house and farm are up for auction.
A mushroom grower in Savar
Agriculture & farmingDhaka
A standing order for 15 kg a day cut wasted mushrooms to almost nothing.
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A small workshop owner in Narayanganj
Light manufacturing & workshopNarayanganj
We took a 5,000-bag corporate order, could not pay the workers and shut the workshop for two months.
A tailor in Mirpur
Home & local servicesDhaka
A second machine would have doubled Eid income, but sat idle the rest of the year.
Two sisters in Sunamganj
Agriculture & farmingSunamganj
The first year we never sold an egg on credit. Without cash sales we could not have bought feed.
