Started with Tk 600, now a business worth millions

Md Mahmudunnabi Sohag began his business in 2017 by selling mangoes online. This young man from Baraigram upazila of Natore now sells more than 300 agricultural products worth nearly Tk 10 million a month. These products are sold from a total of four outlets, including three in Dhaka. Alongside seasonal fruits, he also sells special products for winter and Eid. Altogether, annual sales now exceed Tk 200 million.

At Sohag’s company, Shatomul Agro, 47 people have already been directly employed, while 150 farmers work on a contract basis. In addition, the company sources various agricultural products from around 500 farmers. Through this initiative, the young entrepreneur has created a significant impact in Ahmedpur of Baraigram, Natore.

The company’s product range includes rice, lentils, spices, ghee, meat from its own farms—cattle, buffalo, chicken, ducks, and quail—along with milk, shrimp, date molasses, lachha semai, mangoes, various seasonal fruits, and several hundred other agricultural products. Besides producing on its own farms, Shatomul Agro collects produce from local farmers. In addition to selling through its own outlets and online platforms, the company supplies products to various supermarkets and brand shops across the country.

Shatomul Agro has four outlets in total—two in Banasree in Dhaka, and one each in Uttara and Bogura. The company’s rice mill, mustard oil mill, and yogurt and lassi factory are located in Sherpur, Bogura. Buffalo and fish farms are in Baraigram, while cattle, sheep, duck, and poultry farms are in Dapunia, Pabna.

Coming from a village to Dhaka for studies, Sohag struggled to adapt to city food. A student of Dhaka Polytechnic Institute, he regularly brought spices from home. At that time, he realised there was a large market in Dhaka for safe food. During mango season, many people wanted mangoes from Rajshahi. So he began buying mangoes from his area and selling them—initially as a hobby—with just Tk 600 in capital back in 2017. Less than a decade later, the company’s assets are now worth more than Tk 40 million.

After starting with mangoes to meet friends’ demands, Sohag began thinking about what else he could sell once the mango season ended. Later, in winter, he started selling Natore’s famous date molasses. After these two products, he visited an agricultural outlet in Badda and noticed strong demand for a wide range of products. Inspired, he opened an outlet in Mirpur in 2017. However, it had to be closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. When the situation improved, he restarted operations in Banasree. Gradually, more and more products were added, and the number of outlets increased. Still, sales through various brands and business establishments now exceed sales through his own outlets.

Founder and CEO of Shatomul Agro, Md Mahmudunnabi Sohag, told Prothom Alo, “To deliver safe food to everyone, we want to open 30 outlets nationwide within the next five years. For that, we are planning to increase production and also explore exports.”

Through an agricultural revolution in Baraigram, Shatomul Agro has improved not only Sohag’s own situation but also that of village youth and farmers. Sohan Jannat works in the company’s marketing and supply division. He is a second-year student at Nawab Sirajuddoula College in Natore. Previously, he earned Tk 18,000 working at a company in Dhaka but struggled to send money home after expenses. Now, working from home, he earns more than Tk 10,000 a month. He told Prothom Alo that he is satisfied balancing both work and studies. In this way, Shatomul Agro has created local employment for many young people.

Local farmers no longer need to chase loans for advance cultivation costs. The company has introduced contract farming arrangements. Farmer Russel Mia from Ahmedpur, Baraigram, now cultivates turmeric, pineapple, banana, sweet orange turmeric, and sugarcane on four acres of land. He is happy receiving fair prices for his produce. Many farmers are now becoming interested in cultivating new high-value crops.

When asked what distinguishes Shatomul’s products from others, the company emphasises safe agriculture—that is, producing food through regulated methods without chemical fertilisers or excessive pesticides. Entrepreneur Sohag said, “When we first started producing date molasses, we saw that sugar, lime, color, and chemicals were often mixed in. We said it must be made without these additives. We don’t care how it looks. Later, by paying in advance, we started producing safe molasses. In the same way, we produce mustard oil using traditional wooden presses. Besides that, we have leased land in Tangail for three years to cultivate vegetables organically.”

Sohag further noted that only about 2 per cent of the country’s daily food market currently falls under safe food. Therefore, there is significant opportunity to expand safe agricultural practices in agro-food products. Financing, however, remains a major challenge. For this reason, Md Mahmudunnabi Sohag has called for loans to be provided from various funds established for small entrepreneurs.