Rabiul Islam, a young man from Saidpur, Nilphamari, has drawn wide attention by raising dumba, a fat-tailed sheep from desert regions, in Bangladesh. He started with two, and three and a half years later his farm has 65, worth almost Tk 1 crore at current prices.
From a farming family in Katharipara village of Botlagari union, he wanted to go abroad for work after passing his SSC, but obstacles got in the way and he decided to try something different at home. He learned about dumba farming from Facebook and YouTube videos and, on the advice of his elder brother who lives abroad, bought Turkish dumba. After two did well, he bought six more; the eight cost him Tk 12 lakh.
The animals began breeding within six months, and the herd has grown to 65, looked after by five workers. They feed mainly on green grass, oil cake and bran. A dumba weighs 50 to 100kg and sells for Tk 1.5 lakh to Tk 2.5 lakh depending on age, weight and size. Each gives birth twice a year, to one or two lambs, and a three-month-old lamb weighing 35 to 40kg sells for about Tk 1 lakh.
“Dumba like fresh grass. Feed costs Tk 20 to 30 a day per animal, and they rarely get ill if they are fed on time and vaccinated,” he said. Buyers call from across the country and many want to see the animals online, and demand rises around Eid al-Adha, he said.
Worker Kalu Mia said the farm feeds five families and hundreds of people come to see it every day, many of them interested in raising dumba. Saidpur upazila livestock officer Md Abu Kayes Bin Aziz said Rabiul’s success is inspiring others, with people coming from far away out of curiosity, to explore the business or to buy animals for Eid.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report