BSS, Khulna :
Cultivation of crab on 33 decimals of land at Charcharia village under Dumuria upazila has brought smiles on the faces of the members of the family of Mithu Rani Sarker.
Once an extreme poor woman Mithu Rani who lives with her day labourer husband Pinaki Sarker near WAPDA embankment, adjacent to Ghangrail river under Shahosh union of Dumuria upazila in Khulna, has turned into a woman entrepreneur reaping financial benefits through crab cultivation.
“I have cultivated crab on 33 decimals of land in the last three months and the financial returns were quite good,” said Mithu Rani.
Rani, mother of two children told this reporter that she was passing her days very badly with the meagre income of her husband.
“My husband was a day labourer and sometimes he worked as a helper with fishermen and bowali in the Sundarbans,” She said adding that my four-member family along with my father and mother-in-laws were starving for many days.
“My story began in January this year, when I came to know through Dumuria upazila fisheries office that government is providing poor women thorough training and help to get bank loan,” She said.
“After a long training, I started crab cultivation in last April and made a profit of Taka 47,000,” said Rani.
Rani, was also awarded the best upazila level woman entrepreneur during the national fisheries week held from July 19 to July 25 this year.
Wearing a broad smile, she said, she is very lucky to have learnt the method of cultivating crabs. She said it will change her fate due to bumper production of crabs. Her husband also works with her.
Khulna Fisheries Officer Prafulla Sarker said, under the Government’s research project of eel (Kuchia) and crab cultivation at the selected area across the country, Dumuria upazila fisheries office provided training to poor women aimed at making them self-reliant.
“Crab farmers purchased crab fries from nearby kitchen market. After 10 to 15 days the cultivating farmers sold big crabs to the same kitchen market,” he said.
Some farmers also collected crab fries from natural water resources like rivers and canals, he said adding that crabs mostly feed on natural fauna and small fish fries.
The commercially viable crabs have great export potentials and usher in economic prospects for the poor people who wish to get high and fast returns from limited land resources, he added.
Talking to Pinaki Sarker, husband of Mithu Rani, said, “I purchased crab fries from Kapilmuni Bazar under Paikgachha upazila, adjacent to Dumuria, and also sold the big ones at the same bazar. “Now we have a dream that our two children would learn higher education and would turn good businessmen,” the successful couple added.
While visiting Kapilmuni kitchen market on Saturday, this correspondent saw that crab farmers are selling crabs to businessmen from Dhaka.
A crab trader Uday Sarker said that at least 20 tonnes of crabs are sold from 25 depots and six sub depots at this crab hub every year.
Shankar Prasad Gain, a UP member of No-6 ward of No-9 Shahosh Union of Dumuria said at least 23 women entrepreneurs are now cultivating crabs in the upazila.
Inspired by the success of Mithu Rani and other women entrepreneurs, a good number of people, mostly women, have begun crab and eel farming to earn a living, as its cultivation is easier and profitable.
Cultivation of crab on 33 decimals of land at Charcharia village under Dumuria upazila has brought smiles on the faces of the members of the family of Mithu Rani Sarker.
Once an extreme poor woman Mithu Rani who lives with her day labourer husband Pinaki Sarker near WAPDA embankment, adjacent to Ghangrail river under Shahosh union of Dumuria upazila in Khulna, has turned into a woman entrepreneur reaping financial benefits through crab cultivation.
“I have cultivated crab on 33 decimals of land in the last three months and the financial returns were quite good,” said Mithu Rani.
Rani, mother of two children told this reporter that she was passing her days very badly with the meagre income of her husband.
“My husband was a day labourer and sometimes he worked as a helper with fishermen and bowali in the Sundarbans,” She said adding that my four-member family along with my father and mother-in-laws were starving for many days.
“My story began in January this year, when I came to know through Dumuria upazila fisheries office that government is providing poor women thorough training and help to get bank loan,” She said.
“After a long training, I started crab cultivation in last April and made a profit of Taka 47,000,” said Rani.
Rani, was also awarded the best upazila level woman entrepreneur during the national fisheries week held from July 19 to July 25 this year.
Wearing a broad smile, she said, she is very lucky to have learnt the method of cultivating crabs. She said it will change her fate due to bumper production of crabs. Her husband also works with her.
Khulna Fisheries Officer Prafulla Sarker said, under the Government’s research project of eel (Kuchia) and crab cultivation at the selected area across the country, Dumuria upazila fisheries office provided training to poor women aimed at making them self-reliant.
“Crab farmers purchased crab fries from nearby kitchen market. After 10 to 15 days the cultivating farmers sold big crabs to the same kitchen market,” he said.
Some farmers also collected crab fries from natural water resources like rivers and canals, he said adding that crabs mostly feed on natural fauna and small fish fries.
The commercially viable crabs have great export potentials and usher in economic prospects for the poor people who wish to get high and fast returns from limited land resources, he added.
Talking to Pinaki Sarker, husband of Mithu Rani, said, “I purchased crab fries from Kapilmuni Bazar under Paikgachha upazila, adjacent to Dumuria, and also sold the big ones at the same bazar. “Now we have a dream that our two children would learn higher education and would turn good businessmen,” the successful couple added.
While visiting Kapilmuni kitchen market on Saturday, this correspondent saw that crab farmers are selling crabs to businessmen from Dhaka.
A crab trader Uday Sarker said that at least 20 tonnes of crabs are sold from 25 depots and six sub depots at this crab hub every year.
Shankar Prasad Gain, a UP member of No-6 ward of No-9 Shahosh Union of Dumuria said at least 23 women entrepreneurs are now cultivating crabs in the upazila.
Inspired by the success of Mithu Rani and other women entrepreneurs, a good number of people, mostly women, have begun crab and eel farming to earn a living, as its cultivation is easier and profitable.
