BAU holds training program on broiler farming for Mymensingh farmers

A day-long training programme on broiler farming was held at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) to enhance the skills of small and medium-scale farmers in the Mymensingh region.

Organized by the Department of Poultry Science at BAU, the training was conducted on Tuesday (February 11) at the Faculty Conference Hall of the Faculty of Animal Husbandry, with funding from the Agricultural Research Foundation and support from Manu Farms.

Professor Dr. Shubash Chandra Das, the training coordinator and project director, as well as a professor at the Department of Poultry Science, led the session. Professor Dr. Bapan Dey, Head of the Department of Poultry Science, presided over the event, while Professor Dr. Md. Ruhul Amin, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Animal Husbandry, attended as the chief guest.

Among the special guests were Dr. M. Hammadur Rahman, Director of the Research Center of Bangladesh Bank (BARC); Mohammad Nazrul Islam, Vice President and Branch Manager of Mutual Trust Bank PLC, Mymensingh Branch; and Muhammad Shaheen, Founder and CEO of Manu Farms. UGC Professor Dr. Sachchidananda Das Chowdhury was present as the guest of honour.

Around 30 farmers from the Mymensingh region, along with faculty members from the Department of Poultry Science and postgraduate students, also participated in the event.

Speaking as the chief guest, Professor Dr. Md. Ruhul Amin highlighted the advancements in poultry farming, noting that previously it took a year for a chicken to reach one kilogram, whereas now, broilers attain over 1.5 kilograms in just 30 days. Additionally, certain layer breeds can now lay more than 320 eggs annually. He credited poultry scientists for these improvements.

He further stated that farmers are the backbone of food production and emphasized the continued necessity of poultry farming as long as human civilization exists. He pointed out that Bangladesh remains reliant on imported broiler grandparent and parent stock since foreign companies do not disclose their breeding methodologies.

Professor Dr. Shubash Chandra Das explained that broilers at BAU’s poultry farm have been raised for over three decades without antibiotics or other artificial additives, yielding excellent quality broilers.

He also noted that their rearing methods have achieved an exceptionally low broiler mortality rate of just 1 per cent.

Following the training, participants were taken to BAU’s poultry farm for a hands-on demonstration, allowing them to gain practical experience in broiler farming techniques.