Trade in cow milk
Belayet's sweet and curd factory and shop has brought prosperity to at least two hundred families of Naikathi village in Rajapur upazila of the district.
He needs around 1,000 litres of cow's milk for his factory every day, but can collect 400 litres to 500 litres from his village at Tk 60 per litre at present, said Belayet, who used to run a tea stall.
“I always encourage the farmers to rear milk cows, and most of them are doing so,” he added.
Increasing demand for milk and fair prices are making more farmers interested in rearing milk cows, said livestock officer of Rajapur Alokesh Kumar Sarkar.
Around 100 farmers are fully dependent on cow's milk for their income, said dairy farm owner Rafiul Islam.
“We sell the milk to the sweet factory,” said Rekha Rani Dhali, another farm owner of the area.
“My family was poor but I have earned prosperity by selling milk to Belayet,” she said, adding that many families have achieved solvency by producing milk.
“I have been inspired to do the sweet business as it can bring prosperity for many village people who have a reliable place to sell their produce,” said Belayet, adding that he was very poor a few years ago but the sweet business has brought prosperity for him and his family in the last eight years.
He makes Tk 35,000 to Tk 45,000 daily and earns over Tk 1 lakh per month as profit, he added.
“I use pure cow's milk for making sweets and curd as it enhances the taste,” said Belayet.
“Belayet's sweets and curd are famous for their quality, and many sweet lovers come to taste them from distant places every day,” said Raju, who came from Barisal to buy the sweets.
“Thanks to Belayet's initiative, the village is going to be a milk village where one could hardly get 20 kg of milk ten years ago,” livestock officer Alokesh said.
The farm owners would get more profit if one or two more sweet shops like Belayet's are set up, he added.
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