By Happy Roy from Netrakona
Women have always been central to sustaining agriculture in rural Bangladesh. In Darun Hasampur village of Laxmiganj Union, seven kilometers east of Netrokona town, Hosna Akter stands as a quiet example of this resilience. Landless and living with a family of seven, Hosna owns only 20 decimals of homestead land which is unsuitable for rice cultivation. Yet she has transformed this small space into a productive, organic homestead.
Using ecological methods, Hosna grows a wide range of seasonal vegetables throughout the year, ensuring food security for her family. Alongside farming, she began raising indigenous Lauya chickens about a year and a half ago, starting with just four hens. Today, she owns around 46 chickens, including chicks.
Lauya chickens are well adapted to local conditions, disease-resistant, and easy to raise using traditional methods. Hosna feeds them rice, grains, vegetables, and turmeric-mixed rice to boost immunity. The hens lay eggs four times a year, with a high hatching rate, and grow larger than many other local breeds.
Hosna has never sold eggs, choosing instead to hatch chicks and sell mature chickens. A hen sells for 400–500 taka and a rooster for up to 600 taka. In recent months, she earned nearly 12,000 taka, which helped he cover household expenses and repay loans taken to build a permanent house.
With minimal cost and effort, poultry rearing has brought Hosna financial sustainability and confidence. Her success now inspires other rural women to pursue self-reliance while contributing to safe food production and rural livelihoods.
