Some 11 80 baby ducks of high breed were hatched out of eggs through incubators for the first time in the newly constructed Bagerhat Zonal Duck Breeding farm in the village Kathal within Karapara Union Parishad under Sadar Upazila in Bagerhat district at a cost of Tk.13 cr on Saturday.
On the following day those newly born baby ducks were sold among the local people at fixed price. It was confirmed by Bilash Debnath, Poultry Technician (PT) of the duck farm. He added, a few days ago some 3,300 eggs were put in the incubators of the farm for the first time and at first stage those baby ducks were hatched out of the eggs and almost all of them were physically well and those were already sold at Tk.20 per piece as the rate fixed by the Govt. More baby ducks will be hatched out of the rest eggs within a short time. He added, as the farm is situated within Karapara Union Parishad it is getting electricity from Pally Bidyut Samity the supply electricity is very irregular. But such a duck breeding farm should require uninterrupted supply of electricity for 24 hours. As a result, the hatching of eggs in the duck farm is suffering a lot of inconveniences. So, the supply of electricity to this duck farm from PDB (Power Development Board) is must.
Bagerhat District Livestock Department sources said, about 20/25 years ago Govt. constructed a poultry (hen) farm on three acres of land at Kathalat within Karapara Union. At that time one-day old chickens were brought to the farm and after rearing up them there for 2/3 months those chickens were used to be sold among the people. But recently duck farming gained a momentum in the south-western region of the country. So, the poultry farm was converted into a regional duck breeding farm under “Regional Duck Breeding Farm provided with hatchery project”-2012 of the livestock department at a cost of T.13 crores. It took about six years to be completed.
This newly constructed duck breeding farms is provided with all the modern equipments and devices. At present there are 1 hatchery building, 6 layers sheds with one grower shed, brooder shed, go-down,1 garage, 1 dormitory and an office building.
Though this duck farm is now waiting to be opened ceremonially 2 thousand ducks of Khaki Cambel and Zingding species were released in the farm twice as experimental basis. 4 hundred male ducks out of one thousand released in the first phase in the farm were sold among the locals. Eggs laid by the rest female ducks were put in the incubators of the farm for the first time to be hatched. As many as 6 thousand ducks can be reared up in the farm. As a result, some 40 thousand baby ducks and 80 thousand eggs will be produced in the farm per month. According to the expectation of the Livestock department, if the baby ducks of quality species are available at accessible prices and within reach a revolution might be happened in rearing up of ducks in the private sectors and locally produced eggs will meet up the requirements of the meat of the local people.
Dr. Saifuzzaman, district Livestock Officer of Bagerhat told the newsmen, 1,180 baby ducks were produced in the duck farm in the first phase. Those baby ducks were sold among the duck farmers of Morrelganj, Sharankhola and Mollahat Upazilas of the district. More 1500 more baby ducks will be produced in the farm very soon. 8 hundred out of the new born ducks will kept in the farm and the rest (700) baby ducks will be sold among duck cultivators. He added, this duck farm will play and important role in meeting up the want of meat and eradicating the poverty.
