Koel farming makes him solvent
Shafiul Alam Sarker of Mostofi Gobdha village in Kurigram's Rajarhat upazila has set a laudable example of self-employment through koel farming alongside inspiring others to follow suit.
“After obtaining MA in economics in 2009, I joined a private company job but it failed to bring me satisfaction. Lastly I started a new journey, setting up a koel farm a year ago,” said Shafiul, 33, a resident of Mostofi Gobdha village in Kurigram's Rajarhat upazila.
Now there are 1,000 koel birds at the farm from where he gets 800 to 900 eggs daily and sells 100 pieces at Tk 170 to Tk 175.
He gets around Tk 1,500 from selling the koel eggs while Tk 600 is spent for feeds and maintenance cost every day.
“I had to start alone as I didn't get family's support for koel rearing. However, the initiative saw success in a short time,” Shafiul said.
“I have already encouraged 42 educated unemployed youths for koel farming and gave them necessary suggestions on the matter. Of them, 15 youths started the trade in the last four months,” he added.
Shafiul's father Sekendar Ali, 62, said, “At first I did not like my educated son's involvement in farming. Now I realise he took the right decision. Many local educated people are visiting him for getting advice on koel farming.”
“I started koel farming at our house after getting the idea and suggestion from Shafiul Bhai in July this year,” said Javed Ali, 23, an educated youth at Mostofi Gobdha village.
Schoolteacher Yakub Ali Mandal, 48, of the village said he also got the idea of koel rearing from Shafiul and hopes to start a farm by this year.
Koel farming is profitable as the bird and its egg have a high demand in the local markets, said Shafiul, who has a plan to rear native variety of shol fish beside his koel farm next year.
Dr Pabitra Kumar, acting upazila livestock officer in Rajarhat, said, “We provide technical support to Shafiul as he is playing an important role to encourage unemployed educated people to be self-reliant through rearing koel.
Comments