BSS, Rajshahi :
Large-scale promotion of homestead gardening is very important 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 through the best use of the homestead natural resources.
Meanwhile, farmers of the region including the vast barind tract are showing much interest in vegetable farming, as it is being more profitable than any other 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.
Hazrat Ali, Deputy Director of DAE, said 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.
Horticulture Specialist Monzurul Huda told BSS that Rajshahi has been regarded as the country’s most prospective vegetable producing region. Production of vegetable could be one of the major income-generating activities in the region, he added.
“Consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits are helpful in flourishing physical and mental power of the babies”, he clarified.
In terms of food and nutritive values green vegetables are vital as these are enriched with enormous vitamin A, B, C, calcium and iron which are essential for human body irrespective of age and sex. So, there is no alternative to boost the vegetable farming.
The agricultural research organizations including the On-Farm Research Division (OFRD) of BARI should come forward with more modern technologies and other requisite inputs to encourage the farmers.
The irrigation cost needs to be affordable to the farmers so that use of vacant spaces is ensured for producing fruits and vegetables as potential means for gradual development in the life of downtrodden in the region.
ATM Rafiqul Islam, Deputy Manager (Agriculture) of Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA), said the people in general should come forward for 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.
Use of vacant spaces for producing fruits and vegetables has been adjudged as potential means for gradual development in the life of poverty-stricken communities coupled with the low and middle income groups.
Currently, most of the commercial growers are seen using harmful insecticides and pesticides on the vegetables and orchards for gaining extra benefits resulting in massive health hazards.
However, the problems could easily be solved if all the family members consume self-produced vegetables and fruits.
Considering its environmental and financial aspects, there should be adequate measures of motivating people towards becoming interested in growing of vegetables and horticulture in their homesteads that will create a huge demand for fruit saplings, vegetable seeds and saplings of ornamental plants.
Large-scale promotion of homestead gardening is very important 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 through the best use of the homestead natural resources.
Meanwhile, farmers of the region including the vast barind tract are showing much interest in vegetable farming, as it is being more profitable than any other 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.
Hazrat Ali, Deputy Director of DAE, said 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.
Horticulture Specialist Monzurul Huda told BSS that Rajshahi has been regarded as the country’s most prospective vegetable producing region. Production of vegetable could be one of the major income-generating activities in the region, he added.
“Consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits are helpful in flourishing physical and mental power of the babies”, he clarified.
In terms of food and nutritive values green vegetables are vital as these are enriched with enormous vitamin A, B, C, calcium and iron which are essential for human body irrespective of age and sex. So, there is no alternative to boost the vegetable farming.
The agricultural research organizations including the On-Farm Research Division (OFRD) of BARI should come forward with more modern technologies and other requisite inputs to encourage the farmers.
The irrigation cost needs to be affordable to the farmers so that use of vacant spaces is ensured for producing fruits and vegetables as potential means for gradual development in the life of downtrodden in the region.
ATM Rafiqul Islam, Deputy Manager (Agriculture) of Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA), said the people in general should come forward for 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.
Use of vacant spaces for producing fruits and vegetables has been adjudged as potential means for gradual development in the life of poverty-stricken communities coupled with the low and middle income groups.
Currently, most of the commercial growers are seen using harmful insecticides and pesticides on the vegetables and orchards for gaining extra benefits resulting in massive health hazards.
However, the problems could easily be solved if all the family members consume self-produced vegetables and fruits.
Considering its environmental and financial aspects, there should be adequate measures of motivating people towards becoming interested in growing of vegetables and horticulture in their homesteads that will create a huge demand for fruit saplings, vegetable seeds and saplings of ornamental plants.
