Bangladesh: Online hut to sell livestock raised by rural women farmers of 'Shorbojoya'
Published 17 Jul,2020 via The Financial Express - A lot of rural families dream of earning a bit extra in the coming festive times of the year on the occasion of eid-ul ajha. They do so by selling the cattle that they had brought up in their homes in the Cow huts. But this year, after the declaration of social distancing came, all their dreams seem to be shattered.
Not only that, but it's also an overall situation of panic surrounded as the offices were closed for a certain time and businesses were shut down, after reopening, spending for regular groceries is somewhat manageable but people don't have much cash in their hands. Plus, there is the possibility of the big cities not allowing or allowing minimum numbers of Cow huts to be opened.
All in all, the animal farmers of Northern areas of Bangladesh are facing a crisis. They are praying that the thousands of cattle brought up to be sold for Qurbani end up in loss. 75 of the Shorbojoya's beneficiaries were having the same concern. Over 500 cattle on the farm, could they be sold? Would they make a profit? Would all the hard work go to waste? These were the thoughts of most in the last two months.
To relieve them of these concerns, the organically production-based e-commerce platform Amar Foods (www.amarfoods.com) has taken measures to sell off the cattle online. This includes cattle from the Shorbojoya farmers of Gaibandha. As it is online, the buyers won't have to go to huts, and they can see and choose the cattle before buying. Moreover, Amar Foods is also offering slaughtering services with free delivery inside Dhaka city to the customers.
In only two weeks, Amar Foods has provided a way to sell off almost all the cattle of Shorbojoya to buyers at a reasonable price. Now they are trying to take from other farmers of Gaibandha under the same initiative. An official from Amar Food cites, "We did not start this for the sake of business only, we run a social business model to reduce poverty and reinvest the selling profit for each individual. Shorbojoya supplies our customers with premium beef all year round. In order to reduce the loss during the pandemic, this thought was the reason behind turning the initiative to reality so swiftly. "
Amar Foods is a sister concern of Watermark Group ltd. Their advertising agency Watermark MCL supported IT and Promotional activities were behind the popularity of the food business.
Co-Founder, Amar Foods and Marketing Head of Watermark MCL Mr. Miftah Arif mentioned, "Even though it isn't our copyrighted or unique or for the first time in the market, but online cow hut is a relatively new idea. We took initiative to build a bridge between rural sellers and buyers in the comfort of their homes. At least those who have technological advantages and creative expertise should come forward and support small scale businesses like these rural farmers. We are trying from the beginning to ensure their financial stability and offer their families a better future. "
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