Anjana Turns Tk 5,000 Into Thriving Dairy Business
Photo: Agamir Somoy
After her husband’s accident, Anjana Baruah faced a severe crisis in raising her two children and managing household expenses. However, she did not stop.
Starting her journey with only Tk 5,000, she has now established herself as a successful dairy farmer.
Now her farm houses 12 cows valued around Tk 2.5 to 3 million. By selling milk daily, she earns an income of over Tk 1 lakh per month. Recently, she earned an additional Tk 2 lakh by selling two cows before Eid-ul-Adha. Anjana’s story is one of struggle, courage, and resilience.
A resident of Ramu Upazila, Anjana is married to Nitupurna Baruah, a tube-well mechanic. In late 2016, Nitupurna suffered severe burns in a fire while installing a tube-well.
He underwent treatment at Chittagong Medical College Hospital for three months but remained unable to work for a long time, plunging the family into a financial void.
Recalling those days, Anjana said, “I was at a loss to manage my husband’s treatment, two children, and household expenses. At that time, my cousin Milli gave me Tk 5,000 for my husband’s medicine and necessary expenses. That money turned my life around.”
Anjana invested Tk 4,000 to lease land for cultivation, growing yard-long beans and paddy. After a successful harvest, she bought a goat, which she later sold to purchase a calf.
In the beginning, her farm produced only five liters of milk daily. She personally sold the milk door-to-door every morning after dropping her eldest son, Niloy Baruah, at school.
As demand grew, she invested around Tk 3.15 lakh - combining savings and loans - to buy a foreign-breed cow, which laid the foundation for her farm. Six of her cows provide milk, with one cow yielding up to 32 to 35 liters daily.
With her earnings, Anjana repaid nearly Tk 7.5 lakh in loans taken for her husband’s treatment and purchased four gonda of land.
Reflecting on her path, she said, “I have suffered a lot. By the grace of the Almighty, I am self-sufficient today. I am also receiving my husband’s cooperation. If women work with hard work and planning instead of sitting at home, success will surely come.”
Her husband credits his wife’s tireless efforts for the family’s survival. Local residents and officials have also recognized her.
Ramu Upazila Livestock Officer Ashim Baran Sen said that the department provided Anjana with medical advice, vaccinations, and machinery. He added, “Her interest, hard work, and dedication are an example of inspiration for other women.”
Anjana treats her cows like family members and also named them. Her success has earned her multiple awards as a female entrepreneur at the upazila and district levels.
