NETRAKONA, Apr 08 (BSS): Poultry farming has created employment for hundreds of village people in the district.
According to district Livestock Department office sources, more than 5,000 poultry farms have already been set up in the district creating jobs for hundreds of unemployed people, especially youths and improving their socio-economic condition side by side of giving a significant boost to the rural economy.
Additional district livestock officer Dr Enamul Haque told the news agency that the state-run commercial banks and other financial institutions including Bangladesh Krishi Bank and Sonali Bank have been helping the rural entrepreneurs by giving them financial assistance under the government's 'Poverty alleviation programmes' to take up different agro-based income generating activities like poultry farms.
"The commercial banks and other financial institutions have been giving financial assistance to the rural entrepreneurs following directives of the government for alleviating poverty from the society", he said.
"The mobile teams of the district livestock department under the supervision of the veterinary doctors have been rendering medicare service to check the outbreak of different deadly diseases including bird flu and "Rani Khet" in the poultry farms as well as to keep bird health normal", he added.
Julhas Mia and Abdul Wadud, owners of two poultry farms in Amtala area under Netrakona Sadar said, around Tk 1,300 to Tk 1,500 is needed for rearing a hybrid chicken, which lays 320 to 350 eggs a year. We can easily maintain our family from the poultry farms, they said.
Replying to a question, they said that, they got loan from a commercial bank to run their poultry farms which has improved their socio-economic condition by changing their lifestyle with side by side of making them capable to contribute to the rural economy through giving jobs to unemployed youths of the area.
Beauty Begum, housewife of the area, who has established a poultry farm at village Dugia under Netrakona Sadar upazila said Tk 4.0 to Tk 5.0 was needed for feeding a layer chicken every day.
Beauty said she was encouraged by other poultry farm owners as well as officials of the Livestock Department to establish the poultry farms which have 2,000 chickens.
Rafiqur Rahman, owner of a poultry farm set up at Boro Kailathi area under Netrakona sadar upazila said that he became self-reliant and his socio-economic condition has improved after he took to poultry farming.
Responding to a question, he said, "He got financial assistance from Bangladesh Krishi Bank, Netrakona branch. The bank sanctioned the loan under poverty alleviation programme of the government for running his poultry farm properly"
"Number of 15 unemployed persons of the Kailathi area was given jobs in his poultry farms", he added.
Over fifty poultry farm owners of the district said the lifestyle condition of many unemployed including youths and farmers in the district have started improving their living condition after setting up poultry farms.
They underlined the need for setting up a big cold storage in the district to preserve the eggs of the poultry birds prior to marketing.
