Poultry farming comes as a trigger for growth of rural economy and a fortune changer for farmers in the district, official sources said.
Poor families in particular are taking it as a boon, while many educated youths are taking poultry rearing as a vocation to become small entrepreneurs.
The veterinary office in the district is trying to provide support in different ways to the poultry farmers--ensuring smooth medicare service to prevent different deadly diseases like 'Rani khet' and 'bird flu' and other problems of chickens at the poultry farms.
According to the livestock office sources here, more than 4,015 big, medium and small-size poultry farms have been set up in the district, with the prime goal of alleviating poverty from the area.
Among the total poultry farms in the district, 634 are registered with Tangail livestock office and 3381 unregistered. A total of 11,147,000 pieces of chickens are reared in those both types of farm, the sources said.
"All the farmers are enjoying different facilities provided by the government. During the period of Covid-19 farmers have got economic stimulus in cash aid from the government," said Dr Mohammed Shohel Rana, additional veterinary officer, Tangail.
Sufficient hens are being produced round the year to provide meet and eggs for the consumers. Tangail district is now considered self- sufficient in egg and hen production, sources said.
The farming businesses have created opportunities of jobs to unemployed boys and girls. A good number of rural people have improved their lifestyle with improved socioeconomic condition within a short period of time.
To expand the farming business, different public and private banks and also some financial institutions are extending short-and long-term loans.
One farm owner, Najmul Hasan Master of village Mamudpur under Delduar upazila of the district, said Tk 4 to 6 are needed for feeding a layer chicken every day. Some Tk 1200 to Tk 1500 are needed for rearing a hundred hybrid chickens, which lay 3000 to 3500 eggs in a year, he added.
"District livestock office has been providing training and medicines to increase the farming business in the rural areas, but I think it is not sufficient to make an eligible farmer who can go for farming poultry smoothly," he said.
He adds: "If they try to provide enough training to farm owners and workers, it will be more helpful in increasing the poultry farming in the rural areas. And it can change rural economy, and also it can play an important role in reducing unemployment in the country."
District livestock office sources said many unemployed, including youths and farmers, of the district became financially solvent by setting up poultry farm.
Another poultry-farm owner, Akbar Ali of village Mamudpur under Delduar upazila, said sometimes, due to some unwanted problems such as natural disaster and pestilence of chickens, the farm owners become disheartened.
"In this situation, if the livestock office or any other institution helps them cordially, then the sufferer can sustain that type of problem and can stand again," he suggested from his homespun farming experience in the agricultural sub-sector.
The additional veterinary officer also said, "Anytime and under any circumstances we try our best to help any farm owner. Sometimes a few farm owners become hopeless due to some unwanted problems and then we try our best to help them."
