C T Online Desk: Rasheed Chowdhury, who studied Business and Brand Management at Coventry University in the United Kingdom (UK), used to come back in summer breaks and help his industrialist father Mohammed Rafiq Chowdhury, the managing director of Chowdhury Group.
When he finished his study, he finally returned to Bangladesh avoiding the flashy and fancy life abroad and joined Chowdhury Group as executive director, looking after the garments business.
Very soon, Rasheed opted to set up an agro farm in his office yard at Textile Intersection in the city’s Bayezid area.
Nine years later, his agro farm ‘Chowdhury Ranch’ is one of the most prominent farms in the port city with some 30 employees looking after the cattle.
Along with producing (fattening) cows for Eid-ul-Azha, they have also made a mark in the dairy and fresh meat sectors.
“I started with only two cows and focused on the reproduction of those cows. To generate revenue, I started to focus on dairy products also,” Rasheed said reminiscing about his initial period.
“My cows now produce some 750-800 litres of milk every day,” he said, adding that his farm also sells 15 tonnes of fresh meat every month through various sales points and corporate deals.
“I was lucky enough to get support and guidance from my family,” Rasheed said when asked about whether there was a backlash from the family after he intended for such an unusual business, especially being a child from an affluent family.
Regarding his current life, the young entrepreneur stated that he now focuses on expanding his business further and ensuring proper supply to meet the demand for meat of the city.
Not only Rasheed but also many youths from the rich families of the city also opted for such investment in the agro sector.
Asian Agro, TK Agro, Well Agro, Seth Agro and ANFL Agro are some of them that have stepped into the sector and managed to grow their reputation in the last decade.
Behind all these successes, there is the role of the customers who are laying their faith in these corporate-turned cowboys.
To get relief from the hassle of negotiation and muddy surfaces in the traditional markets, they are opting for corporate agro farms more.
Unlike previous occasions, the crowds at various agro farms in the city were overwhelming ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.
Rasheed said he prepared some 130 cows targeting this Eid. However, 120 of them have already been sold out with 10-15 selling every day.
Banker Arif Ahmed Chowdhury along with his brother bought a cow from LMT Agro in the city’s Nasirabad area for Tk2.10 lakh.
Asked, Arif said the conditions at the agro made it easier to park personal vehicles and provided ample space to roam for the buyers.
“They’ll keep the cow and feed it until Eid. They’ll also deliver it to my home in time, all of which is free of cost,” he said, adding that they have been able to attract the city customers more for this.
Lecturer Asif Ashrafi of East Delta University, who visited Chowdhury Ranch in the same area, said the traditional markets are very crowded and the environment is a little bit dirty.
The sellers in the traditional markets often deceive clients with sick cows, but these modern agro farms have been able to gain trust of people, he said.
“All in all, people tend to stay hassle-free and so, they’re buying cows from these agro farms.”
Sources said at least 20 industrial groups have set up cattle farms in the recent past.
Most of these farms are located outside the city. They build cattle sales and exhibition centres in the city ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.
Contacted, District Livestock Officer Dr Md Nazrul Islam said there are some basic differences between the cattle of the farm and the traditional market.
Starting from the breeding of the animals to feeding them, the process is quite modern in the modern agro farms, he said. “We appreciate the young and educated entrepreneurs who are investing in the agro sector. If they employ their knowledge properly, the agro scenario of the country will change very rapidly,” he said.
“To build Smart Bangladesh, we need these smart people to set up smart agro farms so that they can fulfil the ever-growing meat demand of the people of the country,” Nazrul added.
