A Tangail entrepreneur has demonstrated quail farming as a viable and profitable agricultural sector, earning around Tk3 lakh monthly by producing and selling quail chicks to farmers across the country.
Shamim Al Mamun of Kachua village in Sakhipur upazila started his journey in 2012 with 500 quail chicks after returning from Saudi Arabia. Today, his ‘Sonar Bangla Sonali and Quail Hatchery’ houses approximately 16,000 breeding quails, producing 10,000-12,000 hatching eggs daily.
The eggs are kept in incubators for 17 days before hatching. Shamim supplies around 2 lakh quail chicks every month to farmers across the country, selling each chick at Tk7-8 with a profit of Tk2-3 per chick.
“I was inspired by a television programme on quail farming while working in Saudi Arabia,” Shamim said. “After returning home in 2011, I took training from experienced farmers in Bogura before starting my own farm.”
The entrepreneur faced a major setback during the Covid-19 pandemic when many farmers shut down their operations. However, Shamim turned the crisis into an opportunity by establishing a hatchery in 2023, which gave his business new momentum.
At present, five workers assist him in the farm, with his wife providing overall support. To ensure uninterrupted production during power outages, he has installed a generator and a feed-making machine.
Local livestock officials said quail farming has significant potential in Bangladesh. Quail eggs and meat are rich in nutrients with relatively low cholesterol levels. Vaccines used for poultry are also effective for quails.
Sakhipur Upazila Livestock Officer Md Saidur Rahman said Shamim was an exemplary successful entrepreneur in the area.
“Quails have fewer diseases and are tasty, which ensures demand and profitability,” he said. “Many people are choosing quail farming as a profession for self-employment.”
He also assured that training and government support were available for those interested.
Visitors to the farm said they were inspired by Shamim’s success. Jubayer Miah, a visitor, said he had come to take advice on starting a quail farm.
“I have visited the farm and am inspired,” said another visitor, Junayd Hossain. “I am thinking of starting a quail farm after taking his advice.”
Livestock officials said a layer quail starts laying eggs within six to seven weeks and continues for about 18 months, producing 280-300 eggs annually. Broiler quails can be marketed within just four weeks.
