Poor families profit from swan rearing

Poor families in Moheshpur upazila of Jhenidah are increasingly involved in swan rearing due to its good return. More than 30,000 poor and marginal families have become economically solvent by raising  swan in villages.
People of 50 villages in 12 upazilas including SBK union, Fotehpur, Pantapara, Shruppur, Shamkur, Nepa, Kazirber, Bashbaria, Jadobpur, Natima, Mandarbaria and Azampur union under Moheshpur in Jhenidah are engaged in rearing swan on a large scale at their houses. Some of the farmers have 20 to 50 swans.
 Chairman of SBK union porishad Sazzad Ahmmed said average housewives of the families are willing to raise swan in their houses. A pair swan is even offered to girls as a marriage gift. Over three lakh and fifty thousand people of the upazila have love for swan for a long time because the variety of duck and its big size eggs bring financial solvency for the poor and middle class people.  Aziron Bibi of Voiroba village boasted about her small farm saying swan has brought solvency in her family. She is raising it for the last 20 years. After her marriage her mother gifted them a pair of swan. Now she has four pairs of swan; her daughter Akashi has three pairs and her two sons have another five swans in her house at the moment.
 Divorced Kolmi Begum and Monjura Khatun, widow Asia Begum, Jorina Begum and Lal Banu all said swan farming is a profitable business here. One pair of swan costs Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,200, they said. Monwara Khatun, a class-VIII student, said most times he buys pen, books and extra papers by selling swan eggs in the local area. Housewives of remote areas and many other villages in the upazila are raising swan as an alternative source of income.
People of Khalishpur village said they once lived on fish production and crop cultivation. Poverty was their perennial problem. Many of the poor fisherman families took loan from the NGOs and started swan farming at their houses. The Department of Livestock also came forward to assist them.
Deputy director of District livestock officer Kanailal Sharnakar said families supplement their income through raising swan.
He said Moheshpur upazila has many water bodies, so local people can easily rear swan. Swan is physically strong and normally resistant to many diseases. It grows up eating aquatic plants and creatures.
He said swan lays egg every day after the attain three months of age. Its egg and meat are nutritious.

Poor families profit from swan rearing

Poor families in Moheshpur upazila of Jhenidah are increasingly involved in swan rearing due to its good return. More than 30,000 poor and marginal families have become economically solvent by raising swan in villages. People of 50 villages in 12 upazilas including SBK union, Fotehpur, Pantapara, Shruppur, Shamkur, Nepa, Kazirber, Bashbaria, Jadobpur, Natima, Mandarbaria and Azampur union under Moheshpur in Jhenidah are engaged in rearing swan on a large scale at their houses. Some of the farmers have 20 to 50 swans. Chairman of SBK union porishad Sazzad Ahmmed said average housewives of the families are willing to raise swan in their houses. A pair swan is even offered to girls as a marriage gift. Over three lakh and fifty thousand people of the upazila have love for swan for a long time because the variety of duck and its big size eggs bring financial solvency for the poor and middle class people. Aziron Bibi of Voiroba village boasted about her small farm saying swan has brought solvency in her family. She is raising it for the last 20 years. After her marriage her mother gifted them a pair of swan. Now she has four pairs of swan; her daughter Akashi has three pairs and her two sons have another five swans in her house at the moment. Divorced Kolmi Begum and Monjura Khatun, widow Asia Begum, Jorina Begum and Lal Banu all said swan farming is a profitable business here. One pair of swan costs Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,200, they said. Monwara Khatun, a class-VIII student, said most times he buys pen, books and extra papers by selling swan eggs in the local area. Housewives of remote areas and many other villages in the upazila are raising swan as an alternative source of income. People of Khalishpur village said they once lived on fish production and crop cultivation. Poverty was their perennial problem. Many of the poor fisherman families took loan from the NGOs and started swan farming at their houses. The Department of Livestock also came forward to assist them. Deputy director of District livestock officer Kanailal Sharnakar said families supplement their income through raising swan. He said Moheshpur upazila has many water bodies, so local people can easily rear swan. Swan is physically strong and normally resistant to many diseases. It grows up eating aquatic plants and creatures. He said swan lays egg every day after the attain three months of age. Its egg and meat are nutritious.