Dinajpur: Bishapara village under Boaldar union of Hakimpur upazila in Dinajpur has emerged as a 'Dairy Village' with 68 small and large farms raising indigenous and crossbred cows, creating new opportunities for dairy farming and livelihoods in the area. The farms currently have 287 cows, including 96 heifers, 74 crossbred cows, and 117 indigenous cows. Of them, 96 cows produce around 695 kilograms of milk daily on average.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, located about four kilometres south of Hakimpur upazila headquarters, Bishapara has gained the reputation of a dairy village over the past decade as almost every household has become involved in cattle rearing and milk production. With support from the private development organisation MBSK, which works in collaboration with the Department of Livestock Services, local farmers have received assistance in cattle rearing and dairy farming. The village was officially declared a 'Dairy Village' by the Hakimpur Upazila Livestock Office on January 1, 2017.
MBSK livestock officer Md Habibur Rahman mentioned that the number of cattle in the village has increased from 265 last year to 287 this year, with 22 new cows added during the period. He said the organisation has been working extensively to make poor men and women of the village self-reliant through cattle rearing and milk production. As a result, many families are now earning a living by selling milk, while their children are also pursuing higher education.
Retired Border Guard Bangladesh member and farmer Md Rafiqul Islam shared that he bought a Friesian cow about five years ago and now has nine cows at his farm, five of which are currently producing milk. The other four are pregnant. Rafiqul has sold four cows and six bulls from his farm for around Taka 27 lakh and has five calves. The nine cows currently at his farm are worth an estimated Taka 25 lakh. Initially, they faced difficulties in selling milk, but now Bishapara is widely known for supplying pure milk, and wholesalers from Bogura come to their homes every day to collect milk at a fair price.
Another farmer, Saheda Begum, wife of Haresh Ali, started their dairy farm eight years ago by taking a Taka 1 lakh low-interest loan from an NGO and selling six trees. With Taka 1.8 lakh, they bought two foreign-breed heifers. By rearing those cows, they now have eight cows on their farm. Five of them produce 55 to 60 kilograms of milk daily, while the other three are pregnant and will give birth soon. Saheda mentioned they have sold nine cattle for Taka 25 lakh over the past few years, using the money to arrange marriages for their two daughters and purchase one bigha of land for cultivating grass as feed for the cattle.
Hakimpur Upazila Livestock Officer Dr Md Montasir Mamun explained that regular courtyard meetings are organised with farmers in Bishapara to promote modern methods of cattle rearing and care. Medical teams are also formed to provide treatment and veterinary services whenever any disease outbreak occurs. As a result, Bishapara, known as a 'Dairy Village', has now earned a reputation as a model village for milk production.