Dairy Farm Thrives with 1,500 Liters Daily, Customers Queue for Fresh Milk
Photo Collected
BOGURA, Bangladesh – Shamsul Abedin, a struggling entrepreneur who once peddled milk door-to-door in Bogura, Bangladesh, has transformed a challenging start into a thriving dairy farm that now produces thousands of liters daily, yet still struggles to meet overwhelming consumer demand three decades after its inception.
In 1994, Abedin invested 150,000 Taka to purchase two cows and establish a dairy farm. Initially, his daily yield of 15-20 liters of milk found few buyers, forcing him to rent a rickshaw and personally hawk his products around local neighborhoods each evening. Today, his Abedin Dairy Farm, located on Kazi Khana Lane in Bogura’s Rahmannagar, boasts 215 cattle, including 170 milking cows, producing an average of 1,500 liters of milk daily. Customers now form long queues at the farm’s gate throughout the day, often returning disappointed when the limited supply runs out.
বিজ্ঞাপন
The 60-year-old Abedin’s success has earned him national recognition, including the Presidential Medal in 2005, the Agricultural Medal in 2000, and the National Youth Award in 2016. He also served an extended tenure as president of the Bogura district branch of the Bangladesh Dairy Farmers’ Association.
Abedin Dairy Farm’s livestock is valued at over 40 million Taka, supporting direct and indirect employment for at least 20 individuals, including 11 regular staff. The 48-decimal farm generates daily milk sales exceeding 100,000 Taka.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Born into an affluent family, Abedin’s father, Joynal Abedin, was a bank officer who later established a flour and mustard mill. Shamsul, the youngest of seven siblings, pursued studies at Bogura Central High School and Azizul Haque College. During the 1980s, he engaged in district student politics before starting his professional life as a local newspaper journalist, concurrently assisting with his father’s mill. After a brief and unfulfilling stint in contracting starting in 1992, he established his dairy farm two years later.
Currently, the farm records annual milk sales exceeding 40 million Taka. Abedin noted that daily demand for his milk, which comes from Bogura and surrounding areas, ranges from 6,000 to 7,500 liters. Milk is collected three times a day—at 8 AM, 3 PM, and 8 PM—but production consistently falls short of the immense demand.
During a visit on February 27, hundreds of customers, carrying plastic bottles and containers, were seen queuing at the farm’s gate, approximately two kilometers from Bogura’s central Satmatha intersection. Inside, workers diligently cared for the cattle, feeding them a specific blend of chaff, grass, corn stalks, oilcake from Abedin Oil Mill’s own production, wheat, corn, lentil husk, and carrots. Eight employees, wearing masks, gloves, rubber socks, and hair caps, milked the cows, collecting the yield in large containers before it was transported to the sales counter.
Customers are typically limited to purchasing one to two liters of milk each, even if they desire more. Abedin himself collects payments, with milk currently priced at 80 Taka per liter, an increase from 70 Taka a month ago. He attributed the price hike to soaring animal feed costs, which constitute 80 percent of the milk production expense, pushing the per-liter production cost to over 75 Taka. The practice of selling milk directly after collection has built significant consumer trust, contributing to the farm’s high demand due to its reputation for purity.
Customers expressed both loyalty and frustration. Madhuri Jannat, a homemaker from Seujgari, waited 90 minutes to secure two liters of milk, despite needing ten liters for her family during Ramadan. Sabrina Rahman of Joleshwaritala emphasized the importance of arriving early to avoid missing out, while Abedur Rahman of Maltinagar Borobari, a five-year loyal customer, received two liters when he hoped for five. Habibur Rahman from Kalitala stated, “The market isn’t short on milk, but on pure, unadulterated milk. This farm’s reputation for quality is widespread.”
Abedin’s success has inspired many, leading numerous individuals to establish dairy farms in Bogura and its vicinity, often seeking his advice. Among those who have found prosperity through dairy farming after consulting Abedin are Orka Islam in Thonthonia, Mohidul Islam in Gabtoli, Habil Islam in Kahaloo, and S.M. Zobayer in Gazipur.
According to Prothom Alo, Bogura District Additional Livestock Officer Nasrin Parvin noted that the district’s monthly milk demand is 52,650 metric tons, while 5,894 local dairy farms collectively produce 56,636 metric tons. Abedin Dairy Farm has consistently met a portion of this demand for three decades. Bogura Sadar Upazila Veterinary Surgeon Md. Raihan further highlighted that the farm’s milk quality is high due to the superior animal feed used, and direct sales foster consumer confidence and trust. The livestock department provides ongoing support to these farms.
Shamsul Abedin lives with his wife, Shahana, an elementary school teacher, and their two daughters, one studying in medical college and the other in eighth grade. Abedin shared with Prothom Alo his dream of expanding the farm to eventually supply milk to every household in Bogura, a city of one million residents, thereby contributing to the prosperity of every family.
0%
0%
0%
0%
