Home ›› 09 Jul 2022 ›› Nation
Rekat Ali, a rice trader by profession, has established a successful commercial farm of various breeds of cows and buffaloes in Natore Sadar upazila.
There are more than 200 cattle being reared on ‘Dreamland Fattening and Dairy Farm’. There are 12 workers in charge of taking care of the cows and buffaloes around the clock.
Proprietor Rekat Ali started the farm as a hobby because of his love of animals. He now looks after the well-being of the animals every day after finishing up with his rice trade business.
The farm is home to a wide variety of cows and buffaloes, according to this correspondent’s on-the-spot investigation.
People are coming from different parts of the country to buy animals from the farm ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. Visitors also come with their families to see the exotic breeds of cows and buffaloes on the farm.
The owner said he started the venture six years ago as a hobby as he had a soft spot for animals. He built the farm around his rice mill and built a grass field on about 20 bighas of land to provide fodder for the cattle.
Although the farm started its journey with only a handful of cows, there are currently over 200 cattle on the farm.
The trader has collected different breeds of cows and buffaloes have been collected from different parts of the country.
The trader has collected cows from the Bahamas, GBR, Rajasthan, Howrah, and Gujrat in India along with other breeds such as Holstein Friesian and Australian Friesian, Nepalese Gir, Pakistani Shahiwal, and Bhutanese Bhutti cows.
The red, white, and black cows are more than 6 feet tall, and some weigh more than a tonne. The most attractive breeds are the Brahman and Rajasthani cows, with their similarity to deer.
The buffaloes are kept separately from the cows. According to the trader, the Bihari and African Zafarabadi, Niliravi, and Murra breeds of buffaloes are among the notable. These attractive buffaloes weighed more than fifteen maunds.
The exotic albino buffaloes instantly catch the eye of every visitor to the farm.
A college teacher, Masuma Sultana, came to visit the farm with her student, Sidratul Muntaha, and said they were amazed to see giant animals of different colours and shapes.
The team leader of the workers, Bulbul Ahmed, said they do all the work, including feeding the cows and buffaloes, bathing them, and keeping an eye on their health. Two workers stay on the farm at night.
The workers said they emphasise keeping the farm clean and tidy at all times as part of their regular duties. They remove dung as soon as possible and also disinfect the farm on a regular basis.
The cows and buffaloes are bathed every day to prevent skin diseases.
The 20 bighas of grass fields are also an attraction of the farm. The trader said that in addition to Thai Panchun grass, he also planted Napier and Goma varieties. This year a new red and green coloured hybrid variety of Panchun grass has been planted.
The trader said that the business venture that started as a hobby is currently earning him a good amount of profit. The farmer said buyers from all over the country come to the farm to buy cattle.
Rekat Ali said he expected to expand his farm in the future and add more foreign breeds of cattle to it. He added that he plans to build a biogas plant along with the farm. “We do not compromise on the quality of the cattle on our farm and do not use steroids or other harmful chemicals,” said Rekat Ali.
Apart from grass, wheat bran, and oil cake (khail), the animals are fed mixed food with wheat, maize, paddy, and different types of pulses. According to the farmer, this plays a leading role in protecting the animals from diseases and keeping them healthy.
Rekat Ali said about 50-60 cows and buffaloes have been sold so far ahead of the upcoming Eid. Cows worth between Tk 1.45 lakh and Tk 8 lakh have been sold. Whereas, buffaloes have been sold for a minimum of Tk 2.6 lakh and a maximum of Tk 6 lakh.
Natore District Animal Resources Officer Dr Golam Mostafa said, “We are proud of Rekat Ali’s successful farm of exotic cattle. Our department will continue to provide him with essential assistance.”
Deputy Commissioner Shamim Ahmed said the diverse and prosperous Dreamland Fattening and Dairy Farm is the result of talent and hard work. The district administration will always help in the development of this farm, he added.
