Youth self-reliant thru sheep rearing in Gangni

Gangni (Meherpur) Correspondent

A young man named Asaduzzaman, son of Kaftullah Malitha of Bhomardaha Village in Gangni Upazila of the district has become self-reliant by rearing sheep.

He went abroad in 2017 and since then began to dream of building a farm. After coming home in 2020, he first started a cow farm but did not get success in rearing cows for one year. In 2021, he bought 28 lambs and 11 big sheep from Mujibnagar at Tk 5 lakh and started a farm. At present, there are 125 sheep in his farm, the price of which is about Tk 25 lakh.

Asaduzzaman, the owner of the farm, said, “The price of sheep is Tk 20,000 to Tk 25,000. Excluding all expenses, it is possible to earn Tk 5 lakh a year. As I did not get a good salary abroad, so I started the farm. This type of sheep is in great demand in the country. A good lamb sells at Tk 7,000 to Tk 8,000.”

“In the meantime, many people have been successful in rearing sheep. Some of them are also dreaming of becoming self-sufficient by rearing this sheep. Several farmers of the district have benefited from rearing it. As a result, many farmers are interested in rearing this sheep,” he said.

“Two years ago there were 41 sheep, now there are 125 sheep in his farm. He has sold some sheep. He does not have to take sheep to market for sale. Farmers from different districts of the country come and buy sheep from me. Now I am earning Tk 5 lakh a year by rearing sheep. The meat of local sheep is very tasty and nutritious. There is a huge demand for its meat in different parts of the country,” he also said.

“It is possible to raise sheep by feeding with natural fodder like grass. It can be left in the field for grazing throughout the day. Some days if I cannot take these to the field due to rain, I feed them with some dry food in the evening. Females give birth twice a year. By raising sheep, my family’s prosperity has returned. However, after five sheep died due to disease in my farm in the first year, I went to the Gangni Upazila Livestock Office for advice. After three months of vaccination and feeding with deworming tablets, there was no more problem,” he further said.

In this connection, Gangni Upazila Livestock Office Veterinary Officer Dr. Ariful Islam said, “Compared to other domesticated animals, sheep are less prone to disease and its meat grows faster. As it is profitable, many people are coming forward to rear sheep. Livestock Department is providing medical services and advice to the farmers in rearing sheep.”