Black Bengal Goat transforming Chuadanga poor families

Black Bengal goats. Ragib Hasan. Creative Commons

Chuadanga, Nov 16 -  Just three years ago Lima Khatun was the face of extreme poverty in her Bishnupur village Damurhuda Upazila in Chuadanga. She and her day labour husband Monwar Hossain were struggling to earn two meals a day for their five-member family.  

Not now. In the past few months Lima pulled her family out of poverty and started earning a decent income thanks to rearing Black Bengal goat.

The internationally-famed Black Bengal goat, known as the poor man’s cow, has been playing an important role in alleviation of poverty in Chuadanga district.

Every other house of this rural locality now has small or large farms of Black Bengal species of goat.

Bangladesh's local breed Black Bengal goat is recognized as the best in the world in terms of quality, according to a 2015 assessment by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Black Bengal goats have a world-wide reputation as a source of quality leather, delicious meat and nutritious milk.

Described by the UN as one of Bangladesh’s richest treasures Black Bengal goats are known for their rapid adaptation to any environment and for giving birth to 3-4 youngs twice a year.

This breed is known as 'Kushtia Grade' in the international market. However, recently this goat is being reared more in Chuadanga district, which is now part of the greater Kushtia.

Not only black breeds, but also Haryana, Jamunapari, Totamukhi and Beetle breeds are being reared by the people of this district.

Although several species of goats are found in Chuadanga district, about 70 per cent of them are Black Bengal goats. Unemployed youth, new entrepreneurs and poor farmers of this region are playing a leading role in raising Black Bengal goats and providing nutrition to the nation along with earning their livelihoods.

As no extra expense is needed for keeping these goats, women as well as men can easily take care of them.

Getting back to Lima’s story, one day amid her struggles she went to see the activities of Goat Breeding Society run by the Wave Foundation after hearing good things about it from her neighbours.

Lima first bought two goats with a loan of 20,000 takas and built a shelter with a platform for her goats. The two goats first gave birth to one kid and within a year and a half she sold the two goats for 30,000 takas. She bought more female goats which gave birth to more kids. Gradually the number of goats in Lima’s farm increased and currently she rears 23 goats.

Many people have similar stories to share in the region which transformed their life by raising this black goat.

After visiting the four upazilas of Chuadanga, the Black Bengal Goat can be seen on the roads and by-roads of even the remotest area. Some people were seen rearing goats in their homesteads or on bamboo made platforms. Many farmers said they are earning Tk two to three lakh profit every year by rearing 20 to 30 goats.

Shahabuddin, a goat farmer from Chuadanga municipality, said, "I have been raising goats round the year along with farming. Out of hobby I bought two goats 24 years ago but now I have more than 50 goats in my house. My family has never been in need since I brought those goats in my house,”

According to the Chuadanga District Livestock Office, about five lakh goats are grown annually in the district from which about 23 thousand metric tons of meat is produced. At present, goat meat price per Kg is Tk 650 to 700 depending on the type. The annual income from selling goat meat and leather in the district is around Tk 2 thousand crore. Besides rom selling goat skins, a large amount of foreign currency is being earned.

“The Goat Development Farm was established in 1997 in Chuadanga to conserve the Black Bengal Goat breed of the district. Every year goats are supplied from this farm in different parts of the country including 10 districts of Khulna division at fixed price”, said Arman Ali, Livestock Officer of the firm.

About one thousand goats are currently being reared in this farm, said Arman.

District Livestock Officer, Golam Mostafa said, ‘Chuadanga can be called a sanctuary for the Black Bengal Goat as  the warm favourable climate here makes it the most suitable area for goat rearing. The government has initiated efforts to conserve the Black Bengal Goat breed, considered as the brand of Chuadanga. '

He said about 70 per cent people of the district are involved in agricultural work.

“Raising these black goats is playing an important role in meeting the demand for protein, including reduction in poverty and unemployment to boost this rural economy. The annual income from selling goat meat and leather in the district is about 2 thousand crore takas,” said the official.

As this breed of goat does not suffer from any disease except cold in winter it has become the most reliable component of poverty alleviation in the district, he said. - UNB