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Mismanagement grips Thakurgaon govt poultry farm

UNB, Thakurgaon
Mismanagement and corruption have gripped Thakurgaon government poultry farm, putting its existence at stake.
Apart from irregular rearing of poultry birds, the farm's food warehouse, residence of the manager and residential quarters of its employees are now in bad shape for lack of maintenance.
An employee of the farm said they bring one-day-old chicks from Rangpur and other government hatcheries after every three to six months and sell them to private poultry farmers at Tk 50 per piece after one and a half months.
Set up in the fiscal 1982-83 on 3.17 acres of land in front of Thakurgaon Sadar Hospital, the poultry farm had been running well until a few years back. “But mismanagement, corruption and negligence of its officials and employees have gripped the farm, jeopardising its existence,” said an official requesting anonymity.
He said once poultry birds used to be reared in the farm throughout the year, now both rearing and selling of chicks have become irregular.
The farm sold 1,480 chicks in March this year while 3,500 and 2,000 in September and November in 2011. In the fiscal 2009-10, the farm sold 12,285 chicks.
Currently, the farm is rearing some 2,000 chicks
which will be ready for sale within a few days.
According to the source, the farm usually buys chicks from Rangpur Hatchery, but the hatchery stopped chick production in September last year following the outbreak of bird flu.
Later, the farm started buying chicks from Jamalganj Farm of Joypurhat district. But Jamalganj Farm could not supply chicks according to the demand of different farms.
While visiting the farm, the UNB correspondent found chicks in only one of three sheds. Although there is a hatchery shed meant for hatching eggs, no hatching machine has been installed there since the inception of the farm.
More worrying is that the only vehicle meant for carrying chicks has remained out of order for long.
Raihan Ali, acting manager of the farm, said the yearly demand of chicks in Thakurgaon and adjacent area is about 70,000. Once the farm had a target of rearing 25,000 chicks a year, but now the target has been brought down to 10,000 due to bird flu and nonavailability of chicks.
Besides, the yearly budgetary allocation for the farm is Tk 800,000, which is said to be too inadequate to operate it. Raihan said if the government enhances the budget for the farm and ensures the regular supply of one-day-old chicks it will be possible to meet the demand of the district.