Innovative duck farming in open water body

A retired government employee is running a duck farm in Kishoreganj upazila of the district in a big canal under the Teesta irrigation project, showing that the canal water can be used for other purposes along with irrigation.

Khalilur Rahman, 53, of Uttar Barobhita village, is not only running the profitable duck farm but also sending a message to educated but unemployed youths that self-employment may be better than running after jobs.

“The main canal of Teesta irrigation project flows beside my house, making me think of using the water for other purposes along with irrigation, so I set up a duck farm in 2012 with 500 ducks,” said Khalilur.

“I encircled a small area in the canal with nylon net so that water flow was not hindered. I fed the ducks and brought them to the canal for swimming, and my wife and an employee looked after them while I was in the office,” he added.

“With the dream of making a bigger farm and giving more time for ducks, I took voluntary retirement in 2016 and invested a portion of the retirement benefit to rear 1,150 ducks of khaki campbell and zending varieties, each yielding 260 eggs per year,” Khalilur said.

“At first I did not know whether Water Development Board authorities would allow me to rear ducks in the canal, but my fear disappeared as the then sub-divisional engineer of the Teesta project Fazlul Huq highly appreciated my initiative because the farm did not create an obstacle to the flow of irrigation water,” he added.

“I bring one-day-old duck chicks from big city farms to rear them for five months till they start giving eggs. Every year I have to spend around Tk 17.5 lakh for their food, medicine and my employee's salary. The upazila livestock office supplies vaccine,” he said.

He said he now gets 900 eggs daily throughout the year and earns around Tk 24.3 lakh, thus making a profit of about Tk 7.0 lakh, deducting rearing cost.

Khalilur's wife Karima Begum, 48, said duck rearing is not an unmixed blessing as diseases like duck plague and cholera sometimes break out, killing hundreds of ducks, adding that egg prices also fall at times, so they have to incur loss.

Barobhita Union Parishad Chairman Fazlur Rahman said Khalilur has set an example as many unemployed youths have taken up duck farming to stand on their own feet.

“I along with Monjurul Huq, 30, Mominur Rahman, 32, and many other youths started duck farming being inspired by uncle Khalilur, who also gave us advice and specialised eggs to  breed chicks in incubators,” said local youth Ranjit Roy.

“Khalilur is an intelligent and hard working duck farmer and we provide him with support like vaccine, advice etc. His effort has opened up a new horizon of rearing ducks in Teesta canal without hampering irrigation,” said district Livestock Officer Dr Shahinur Alam.