Stories
Md Rubel Hossain is a 25-year-old youth of Betua village at Ullapara upazila in Sirajganj district. Born and raised in a family ruled by, above anything else, excruciating poverty, Rubel could not afford to continue his studies after the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSC) examinations. Now driven by a dire need to support his family, he was feeling even worse as he could not find a sustainable source of income
Rubel, already having access to internet, would watch videos on Facebook and YouTube on various micro and small enterprises. These videos inspired him to pursue an agricultural initiative but he would not see success. Rubel underwent training in fodder crop cultivation through the Rural Microenterprise Transformation Project (RMTP), which is implemented by the National Development Program (NDP) – a local Partner Organization of PKSF, in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
He gained knowledge about modern ways of producing and marketing silage (green fodder compacted and stored in airtight conditions). “After the training, I cultivated five types of grass on two acres of land. Also, I received a grant of BDT 15,000 from the project. I used the money to buy a vacuum machine and started producing silage,” said Rubel, adding that his business was immediately off to a promising start. Subsequently, Rubel obtained a trade license to start a company called ‘RP Agro Silage’.
He also opened a Facebook page to promote his product, resulting in a tremendously well response from buyers even from distant places like Pabna, Barisal and Dhaka. At present, he produces and sells over 15 tonnes of silage per month to earn a net profit of around BDT 100000. Currently, Rubel is training local farmers on growing fodder in fallow land.
Following Rubel’s success, Sirajganj district Livestock Officer visited the fodder cultivation plot and silage plant, which was then subsequently visited by farmers from other areas to learn about silage production.
Rubel expressed his ambition to expand the business, including establishing a contract farming system with fodder farmers to supply fodder to his silage plant, testing silage quality at a government lab, and obtaining BSTI certification from the Bangladesh government, as well as printing sacks bearing his company’s brand name, trademark and details.
