BSS, Rajshahi :
Gardening around homesteads in both summer and winter seasons in the region including its vast Barind Tract has been gaining popularity with production of different fruits and vegetables.
Marginal farmers and the poor people in the region are mostly engaged in this venture by making the best use of spaces around their homes over the last couple of years.
Varieties of vegetables are seen appearing in the local markets round the years by dint of the regular farming of the vegetables along with other seasonal fruits and crops.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) and Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) have been providing necessary cooperation alongside need-based training and required inputs to the farmers to grow fruits and vegetables for their own consumption and extra earning by selling those.
DAE and BARI officials said that use of vacant spaces for producing fruits and vegetables has been seen as potential means for gradual development in the life of downtrodden in the region.
They said the On-Farm Research Division (OFRD) of BARI has been implementing various types of need-based programmes with a view to bringing the farmers under the programmes, through which they can produce traditional fruits and vegetables round the year.
OFRD senior scientific officer Dr Abdus Salam told BSS that the interested farmers, particularly the poor and marginal ones, are being given preference to use BARI’s Tested Pattern Technology in their gardening projects around homesteads.
As part of the programs, OFRD established a live crop museum at Kodomshohar under Godagari Upazila where high yielding varieties of 35 Rabi crops developed by BARI remain putting on display during both the seasons.
Abdus Salam said that the museums have created a positive impact in the area, encouraging a large number of farmers to grow such fruits and vegetables as well as other crops by using the modern method.
Besides arranging regular group discussions and field visits for the beneficiaries, BARI is providing required inputs and quality seeds to the growers, producing mainly papaya, banana, kulboroi, kamranga, dalim, bean, bottle gourd, tomato, radish, red amaranth, spinach, batishak, cabbage, garden pea, bush bean, brinjal, chili, onion and garlic. Homestead gardening can give both money and nutrition Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture Extension Nurul Amin said large-scale promotion of homestead gardening has become indispensable for getting regular cash crops together with meeting up the nutritional demands.
Besides, both urban and rural poverty could be reduced together with eradicating the nutritional deficiency to a greater extent through boosting vegetables, fruits and crops production by making the best use of the homestead natural resources.
Horticulturist Monzurul Huda said the people in general should come forward towards cultivating vegetables, fruits and crops on the fallow lands surrounding their dwelling houses and rooftops, which can ensure availability of fresh and pollution-free fruits and vegetables.
