Many duck farmers in Thakurgaon are facing losses now setting up duck farms in the hope of better future.
Due to lack of necessary training, high price of ducklings and duck feed along with non-cooperation of the Animal Resources Department they are in the verge of huge losses.
However, some people have benefited by changing the conventional idea and setting up farms in dry places rather than in ponds.
There are 712 registered poultry farms and 32 duck farms in Thakurgaon district. Conventionally, ducks are reared in canals, rivers, ditches and ponds.
In Ranishankail and Haripur areas of the district, based on natural food, innumerable duck farms have been established near canal Beels and river areas.
Three friends Arif, Matiur and Saherul had set up their own duck farms at a pond in Shukanipara area of Akhanagar union of Thakurgaon Sadar upazila. But due to continues rains this year, they incurred a huge loss. Moreover, the fish in the pond was washed away too.
Entrepreneur Matiur Rahman said, “So far we have spent Tk 4.1 lakh on the farm and have sold ducks worth of Tk 1.8 lakh. Currently, only 350 ducks are left whereas we started the farm with 15 hundred ducks”.
Rubel Islam, another duck farmer from the same union said, "I started my farm with 1600 ducklings at the cost of Tk 5 lakh. I have lost a lot of money for buying duck food. Many ducklings died due to heavy rains. Besides, many other died due to lack of help and cooperation from the doctors of the veterinary hospital.
Duck farmer Taherul Islam, from Kujishahar village, said, “When we go to the animal resources office to get vaccine, we are given serial numbers. The serial number comes after 8 to 10 days. 100 ducklings of my farm died due to not getting vaccine at the right time”.
Meanwhile, Fazle Hasan Pika, a duck farmer from Ruhia area under Sadar upazila, has successfully set up an experimental duck farm with 100 ducks in a dry place rather than in pond. Besides, he has cut down of feed cost using water hyacinth, egg shells and left overs of rice mills instead of expensive feed.
He said, if you keep ducks in a dry place instead of water, disease attacks are less. Besides, if you keep ducks relying on feed, the cost is a lot. Which cannot be handled. So, I use water hyacinth, egg shells and left overs of rice mills as food for the duck.
In this regard, District Livestock Officer Agriculturist Altaf Hossain, admitted that many farmers are facing losses due to lack of necessary training, high cost of ducklings and feed and above all due to not getting fair prices of products.
He added a list of duck farmers facing loss, is being prepared from District Animal Resources Department to provide incentives to affected farmers. They will receive the incentives within mid-December.
