Ishwardi (Pabna) Correspondent :
Farming in Ishwardi in a non-toxic natural way has spread its fame all over the country. Vegetables or fruits, whatever the cultivation, do not use chemical fertilizers in the crop field. Not a single piece of pesticide is sprayed. Organic pesticides, earthworm compost and organic fertilizers are used to increase the yield. At least 20 farmers are now cultivating in a natural way, eliminating chemical fertilizers and toxic pesticides.
In the lands where crops were used a few days ago using chemical fertilizers and pesticides, the farmers are now cultivating in a natural way without spraying poison and bringing good yields. There is an additional cost behind chemical fertilizers and pesticides. But the cost of using organic fertilizer is much less. In the village of Ishwardi, a number of farmers are making earthworm compost manure and using it on their cultivable land. The surplus is becoming financially self-sufficient by selling it to other farmers. Already some farmers are earning much money just by making earthworm compost manure. This information was obtained by talking to the farmers of several villages of Ishwardi and the Sub-Assistant Agricultural Officers working at the field level.
Fruits and vegetables are now grown in the fields of those lands which did not produce much crops or vegetables before. Farmers said that they have shown that good yields can be achieved without applying fertilizers. They also talked about the advice and cooperation of the field level agricultural officers. Shaheen Sardar, a farmer from Mahadevpur village in Sahapur, said they are getting good yield by using organic pesticides and compost fertilizers without fertilizers. He cultivates guava in 15 bighas, baukul in 15 bighas, carrots in 10 bighas, litchi in 8 bighas, gourds in 4 bighas, bananas in 5 bighas and cabbage in 3 bighas without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Besides, he is now cultivating Bal Sundari and Kashmiri plum.
Shaheen got great success by planting Baukul on 40 bighas of land first. He has leased another 20 bighas of land. He has planted guava, baukul and litchi gardens on these huge lands. Apart from the garden, he is producing non-toxic varieties of vegetables and crops including carrots, gourds, cauliflower, cabbage, Bt brinjal, watermelon, radish, tomato, coriander and other crops. By cultivating in a fertilizer and non-toxic manner, Shaheen Sardar now earns 20-25 lakh taka per year from fruit orchards and vegetable farms.
Farmer Mission Ali, a farmer from Gopalpur village in Sandra Union, is getting better yields by using organic pesticides instead of pesticides and earthworm compost fertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers. Mojibar Rahman of the same village is cultivating different crops in five bighas of land. Abdul Jalil has got success by planting potato in his two bighas of land. Aman Mallick, Mukul Pramanik, farmers of Ghoramara village of Laxmikunda Union, Zahir Uddin of Kamalpur village and 20 farmers of different villages of the upazila are now planting different fruits, crops and vegetables in the same way.
Meanwhile, due to the cultivation of fertilizer-free vegetables, some farmers in Ishwardi are also inclined towards making organic pesticides and dermi compost or earthworm manure. They are producing organic manure in their backyards and earning an additional two to three lakh rupees a year by meeting their own needs.
Sujan Roy, Deputy Assistant Agriculture Officer, Ishwardi, said that they e have a special eye on at least 20 farmers in Ishwardi who are planting non-toxic vegetables.”
Ishwardi Upazila Agriculture Officer Mita Sarkar said natural farming is becoming more and more popular in Ishwardi. Farmers are now more interested in cultivating chemical fertilizers and non-toxic fruits, crops and vegetables than ever before. 8-10 hectares of land is now being cultivated in a completely natural way. 60-70 tons of earthworm compost manure is being made in Ishwardi. The field workers of the agriculture office are always giving immediate advice to these farmers.
Abdul Latif, Additional Deputy Director, Pabna, Department of Agricultural Extension, said that besides producing non-toxic vegetables, these farmers of Ishwardi are now agri-entrepreneurs. Guava, Baukul has already shown success in producing various vegetables and crops including maize, melon, gourd, tomato, oleracea, garlic, cauliflower, cabbage as companion crops in the garden.
