Manikganj turkey farmer has eyes on French market
After years of success in farming turkey in a foreign land, the Philippines, an expatriate Bangladeshi has set up a farm at his village home in Manikganj with an aim to export the poultry to markets in France.
With that goal in mind, Mohammed Abul Kalam Azad imported 500 special breed of turkey chicks, Converter Commercial Hybrid, from France in 2017 and started to rear the birds at his farm in Baliakhora village of Ghior upazila.
In April this year, Azad imported a new batch of the same breed and has been raising the chicks in his farm named Brothers Turkey Valley and Medicine. He hopes that each bird, weighing nine kg now, will grow up to 35 kg and be ready for export to France by October this year.
Asked why he was targeting particularly France for the export of the poultry, the masters degree holder in physics from Dhaka University said turkey meat is high in demand in the country as it is considered highly nutritional for its high protein, no cholesterol and low-fat count.
Due to the good demand, it will be profitable to sell the meat in French markets where each kg is sold at around 9 euro per kg, Azad said, adding that turkey farming for local markets can also be profitable as the meat currently sells here for Tk 300 to Tk 350 a kg.
While working as a manager at a buying house in the Philippines in 2000.
Azad was inspired to rear turkey after he visited several successful turkey farms in the neighbourhood there.
That year, he started out with 21 birds and found success the next year when he set up a fully-fledged farm where he started rearing the Converter Commercial Hybrid turkey chicks that he imported from France.
The farm soon started exporting the poultry and in recognition of the achievement, it received awards and accolades each year, said Azad.
He also said till date he was the sole importer of turkey in Bangladesh and he hoped to contribute to the country’s economy in future by earning foreign currency through the export of turkey meat.
Dr Mahbubul Islam Tuku, livestock officer in Manikganj, said turkey meat is safe for human consumption and number of turkey farms are on the rise in the district.
Comments