Rearing crocs, Bangladeshi firm eyes $50 mn exports

The Hindustan Times

Article date:

January 19, 2005

Dhaka, Jan 19 -- Perhaps for the first time in South Asia, a Bangladeshi firm is rearing crocodiles for their hide, meat and bone in what is expected to fetch $50 million in annual exports.

"This kind of venture is the first in South Asia and there is a potential market in Europe for salted crocodile hides and in China, Taiwan and (South) Korea for crocodile meat and bone," Mushtaque Ahmed, managing director and CEO of the newly formed Reptiles Farm Limited, told IANS.

Some young Bangladeshi entrepreneurs began farming crocodiles on a commercial basis in Hatiber village in Bhaluka, about 72 km north of Bangladeshi capital Dhaka.

The company expects to fetch at least …