Bangladesh - GP poultry farm can save $2.17m forex

Bangladesh's first grandparent (GP) poultry farm set up in the northern Panchagarh district will save about US$ 2.17 million (Tk. 13.02 crore) in foreign exchange by reducing absolute dependence on import of broiler-breeder chicken for the country's burgeoning poultry sector. Aqua Breeders Ltd, the new GP farm, set up at Tentulia will go into production of broiler-breeder parents from next May. Enterpreneurs of the venture said initially the farm would produce some 7 lakh pieces of parent chicken annually against the country's total current need of 35 to 40 lakh pieces. Bangladesh now imports one-day-old broiler-breeder chickens from France, UK, Malaysia, Denmark and the Netherlands at a cost of US$ 3.10 or more for each. "From now on our GP farm will be able to meet about 15 to 20 per cent of the country's total demand of parent stock," said Marketing Manager of Aqua Breeders Ltd. Dr Nazmul Hassan Siddiki. Gazi S Hossain, an expatriate Bangladeshi living in USA, set up the GP farm on a 180-bigha plot of land with financial support from Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank (RAKUB), Tentulia branch, and EEF unit of Bangladesh Bank and all technical supports from the Netherlands. Already, some 20,000 pieces of grandparents are being reared in the farm against its capacity of 30,000 pieces and it will produce parents to support demands of the country's total 122 broiler-breeder farms. The farm has a target of producing nine lakh pieces of parents annually when it will go for full-fledge operation, Gazi said. "It will help local broiler-breeder farm owners to avert the hassle of importing parent chickens… We will also help reduce the cost, minimise mortality rate and ensure supply of climatised birds," says Gazi. Bangladesh is now totally dependent on imported parent stock that is responsible for the high price of broiler meat. "I hope our GP farm will help to bring down the price of broiler meat from Tk 70 to Tk 45 per Kg, bringing it within their purchasing capacity. That will be possible because the breeder farms will get locally produced broiler-parents at a suitable price," he said. Dr Arif M Malik, Technical Adviser of Hybro, the Dutch company, said, "Hybro species of birds will be produced in this farm in a totally controlled environment. They are provided controlled food so they can grow 10 times faster than normal ones and lay eggs in time." Each parent bird lays around 180 eggs in its 65 weeks life cycle, he informed. Aqua Breeders also put in place facilities for producing quality poultry feed inside the farm. Hybro Bird species were first brought into Bangladesh in 1979 by a company, Eggs and Hens Ltd. Now three other brands of foreign poultry-Hubbard (France), Aviagen (UK) and Copp (USA and UK) -- are available in Bangladesh. Managing Director of the farm Gazi S Hossain said, "We have appointed a number of foreign doctors from the Netherlands, Pakistan, Thailand and the Philippines to maintain the quality of our production." He said Aqua Breeders Ltd is also setting up its units in the country's eight locations-Panchagarh, Bhaluka, Comilla, Chittagong, Joypurhat, Bogra and Kushtia. "We also have a plan to set up model farms in each district on joint venture basis within next three years so that local farmers can collect broiler chicken easily," said an upbeat Gazi.