Farmer Rakibul Islam has turned an idea once considered improbable into a commercial dumba sheep operation in Mirpur, Kushtia. The desert animal is now being raised successfully on local feed in the district.
Islam left buffalo farming and began with only two dumba sheep. His farm now has 15 Turkish-breed animals, raised on the same kinds of natural local feed given to cattle and goats. Visitors come to the farm every day, and Islam hopes to expand it into a larger commercial operation.
Islam, who lives in the Sahebnagar area of Mirpur upazila, stopped raising buffalo after becoming ill. When his health improved but he was still unable to resume buffalo farming, he learned about dumba sheep through several sources. In 2023, he bought two Turkish-breed animals from a farm and started his own operation. He sold three sheep in May and June this year for Tk 200,000, Tk 150,000 and Tk 100,000, respectively. Most buyers came from outside Kushtia district.
The farm has a large tin-roofed shed with an enclosed raised platform where the sheep move freely. The animals receive natural local feed, while the shed is cleaned regularly and disease prevention is managed using modern practices. Local residents visit daily to learn about the animals, and some are interested in starting similar operations. Residents said the relatively low incidence of disease and higher potential profits had encouraged that interest.
“I used to raise buffalo, but I suddenly became ill and could not move properly, so I stopped,” Islam said. “After I recovered, I learned about dumba sheep through different sources and bought two of them three years ago to start the farm. They require less labor. I now have 15, and they are raised on the same natural local feed as cattle and goats.”
“The farm raises Turkish-breed dumba sheep,” he added. “I have workers who help look after them. Visitors come every day to see how the sheep are raised, and some are interested in starting farms of their own.”
His colleague Imdadul Haque Imran described dumba sheep as animals associated with paradise and with the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim. He said he also wanted to raise them with his family.
The sheep are larger than ordinary sheep, with a distinctive build and a heavy fat deposit at the rear. A visitor named Monira said she had never seen a dumba sheep up close and was pleased to see the unusual initiative.
Mizan, a prospective farmer, said: “I come here morning and afternoon. I had only seen them on television. Now that they are being raised here, I visit regularly to watch how they are fed and cared for. I am interested in raising this foreign breed.”
District Livestock Officer Dr Al Mamun Hossain Mondal said Rakibul had shown that dumba sheep could be raised not only in desert regions but also in Bangladesh’s climate. He said officials monitored the farm, responded when problems were reported and supplied vaccines regularly. The department would support others interested in raising the animals, he added.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report