Mohammed Hossain, Carp Harvesting Business

CEED Practical ‘Capacity Building’ that leads to ‘Capital’

High ambition does not always translate into business success. Mohammed Shorab Hossain had plenty of ambition, but his business was on the brink of collapse.

In Dhigir Parila, a small fishing village in southern India, Mohammed Shorab Hossain began his carp harvesting business with 2 acres of water and an investment of BDT 20,000 (USD $256). At first, the business was successful, with a sufficient return suggesting that a higher volume – and greater profitability – was possible.

After increasing the size of his carp farm to 100 acres, the business began faltering.  Uneven fish production and poor cash flow had left him with almost no working capital.

It was through a local business development office that Mr. Hossain was linked to CEED Bangladesh. He participated in a number of CEED-facilitated technical and business development training sessions, which he was then able to translate into improved management  systems and specialized fish production. Through CEED-facilitated networking, Mr. Hossain secured lower cost loans and less costly, good quality aqua feed, each of which has contributed to improved margins.  With tangible evidence of his success, Mr. Hossain was able to secure a loan of BDT 3,000,000 from the Rajshahi Krishi Bank.  His success has encouraged other local farmers to seek advice and training.