BSS, Rangpur :
Expanded cultivation of vegetables round the year has brought self-reliance and fortune to thousands of farmers cutting poverty everywhere in Rangpur agriculture region in recent years.
Various government initiatives and steps taken by the agriculture related departments, organisations, institutes and NGOs have encouraged the farmers in boosting vegetables farming during the past seven years period.
According to sources in different government and non-government
organisations, poverty alleviation and achieving self-reliance have got further momentum with launching and successful implementation of the ‘One House, One Farm’ project.
Agriculture and Environment Coordinator Mamunur Rashid of RDRS Bangladesh, an NGO, said vegetables farming has already got a solid ground in Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Gaibandha districts in the region.
“The common people have also overcome poverty and combated the seasonal lean period successfully through vegetables farming in their homesteads under various government and non-government assistance,” he said.
According to markets sources, huge vegetables, in the tune of over 180 loaded trucks, produced in the region are being exported to the capital city Dhaka and other places daily and it has also created jobs for hundreds of day- and farm- labourers.
In addition, hundreds of farmers and commoners have already taken adequate preparation for cultivating early varieties of vegetables in their farmlands and homesteads to harvest those during upcoming lean period of ‘Aswin’ and ‘Kartik’ months.
Like in other places, many farmers of Mithapukur, Sadar and Pirganj upazilas in Rangpur, Kaliganj, Sadar and Aditmari upazilas in Lalmonirhat and Sadar upazila in Kurigram have already achieved self-reliance through cultivating vegetables.
For example, people of Balapara, Komlabari, Sarpukur, Tipar Bazaar, Roisbag, Charitabari, Chaoratari, Kumrirhat, Hajiganj, Gilabari, Saptibari and other villages in Aditmari upazila of Lalmonirhat have achieved laudable success in farming vegetables.
According to the local villagers, the whole area was mostly poverty-prone even a decade ago when most of the people were living in miseries due to abject poverty, but vegetable farming has changed the overall scenario in recent years.
People of these villages under five unions of Sarpukur, Komlabari, Bhadai, Saptibari and Velabari in Aditmari upazila alone have been cultivating vegetables in over 3,600 hectares of land thrice annually in recent years.
Officials and experts in the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) and local sources said farmers of these villages have been selling over 20,000 tonnes of vegetables at about Taka 38 crore annually.
Farmer Parvez Alam of village Charitabari said he earns over Taka 3 lakh annually by cultivating vegetables in his one bigha land to lead happier life with respect and honour in the society and his children are getting proper education.
Similarly, framers Altaf Hossain, Abdus Sobhan, Solaiman Ali and Abdul Malek of the area also narrated as how they achieved self- reliance through farming vegetables in their farm-lands and homesteads in recent years.
Horticulture Specialist Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam of the DAE at its Rangpur Regional Office today told BSS that expanded farming of vegetables has already brought fortune to thousands of the farmers bringing huge change in the rural economy.
Rangpur Regional Additional Director of the DAE Md Shah Alam stressed on setting up agro-based industries to enhance export of locally produced vegetables for benefiting the growers and earning foreign exchange to strengthen national economy.
Expanded cultivation of vegetables round the year has brought self-reliance and fortune to thousands of farmers cutting poverty everywhere in Rangpur agriculture region in recent years.
Various government initiatives and steps taken by the agriculture related departments, organisations, institutes and NGOs have encouraged the farmers in boosting vegetables farming during the past seven years period.
According to sources in different government and non-government
organisations, poverty alleviation and achieving self-reliance have got further momentum with launching and successful implementation of the ‘One House, One Farm’ project.
Agriculture and Environment Coordinator Mamunur Rashid of RDRS Bangladesh, an NGO, said vegetables farming has already got a solid ground in Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Gaibandha districts in the region.
“The common people have also overcome poverty and combated the seasonal lean period successfully through vegetables farming in their homesteads under various government and non-government assistance,” he said.
According to markets sources, huge vegetables, in the tune of over 180 loaded trucks, produced in the region are being exported to the capital city Dhaka and other places daily and it has also created jobs for hundreds of day- and farm- labourers.
In addition, hundreds of farmers and commoners have already taken adequate preparation for cultivating early varieties of vegetables in their farmlands and homesteads to harvest those during upcoming lean period of ‘Aswin’ and ‘Kartik’ months.
Like in other places, many farmers of Mithapukur, Sadar and Pirganj upazilas in Rangpur, Kaliganj, Sadar and Aditmari upazilas in Lalmonirhat and Sadar upazila in Kurigram have already achieved self-reliance through cultivating vegetables.
For example, people of Balapara, Komlabari, Sarpukur, Tipar Bazaar, Roisbag, Charitabari, Chaoratari, Kumrirhat, Hajiganj, Gilabari, Saptibari and other villages in Aditmari upazila of Lalmonirhat have achieved laudable success in farming vegetables.
According to the local villagers, the whole area was mostly poverty-prone even a decade ago when most of the people were living in miseries due to abject poverty, but vegetable farming has changed the overall scenario in recent years.
People of these villages under five unions of Sarpukur, Komlabari, Bhadai, Saptibari and Velabari in Aditmari upazila alone have been cultivating vegetables in over 3,600 hectares of land thrice annually in recent years.
Officials and experts in the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) and local sources said farmers of these villages have been selling over 20,000 tonnes of vegetables at about Taka 38 crore annually.
Farmer Parvez Alam of village Charitabari said he earns over Taka 3 lakh annually by cultivating vegetables in his one bigha land to lead happier life with respect and honour in the society and his children are getting proper education.
Similarly, framers Altaf Hossain, Abdus Sobhan, Solaiman Ali and Abdul Malek of the area also narrated as how they achieved self- reliance through farming vegetables in their farm-lands and homesteads in recent years.
Horticulture Specialist Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam of the DAE at its Rangpur Regional Office today told BSS that expanded farming of vegetables has already brought fortune to thousands of the farmers bringing huge change in the rural economy.
Rangpur Regional Additional Director of the DAE Md Shah Alam stressed on setting up agro-based industries to enhance export of locally produced vegetables for benefiting the growers and earning foreign exchange to strengthen national economy.
