NETRAKONA, Oct 1 (BSS): Poultry farming has given a significant boost to the rural economy with more than 2000 big, medium and small sized poultry farms creating jobs for hundreds of unemployed people in the district.

Officials of the district Fisheries and Livestock Department said here today that Bangladesh Krishi Bank and other such financial institutions were providing loans under the government's poverty alleviation programme to establish income-generating projects like poultry farms.

The field level officials of the department have been extending due cooperation to the poultry farm owners while the mobile teams of veterinary doctors are rendering medicare service to improve the health of poultry birds.

Talking to the news agency, Mr Aftab Ahmed, owner of a big poultry farm at Mukterpara area, said Tk 550 to 600 was needed for rearing a hybrid chicken, which lays 300 to 330 eggs a year. "I can easily earn a substantial amount of profit from my farm," he said.