BSS, Rajshahi :
Vegetable farming in both commercial and homestead method is gradually increasing in the vast Barind tract as many people are seen humming towards the farming leaving behind the high-irrigation consuming crops.
Both acreage and production of various types of vegetables including cauliflower, cabbage, bitter gourd, pointed gourd, cucumber and ladies finger were increased significantly in the area during the last couple of years benefitting the consumers in general.
Swapan Ali, 45, a farmer of Panchandar village under Tanore Upazila, has become an icon of vegetable cultivation at his locality. His annual earning is around Taka three to four lakh on an average at present. He has started the vegetable farming with brinjal on only five decimal of fellow land after failing to get irrigation water for Irri-boro farming around five years back. His initial income was around Taka 20,000 that allured him to expand the farming commercially. Under the ‘Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM)’ project, more than 12.58 lakh community people of 2.66 lakh households are being motivated and encouraged towards vegetable farming to reduce the pressure on underground water.
The project is being implemented by DASCOH Foundation at around 1,280 drought-hit villages in 39 Union Parishads and three municipalities of eight upazilas in Rajshahi, Naogaon and Chapainawabganj districts since 2014, said Jahangir Alam Khan, Assistant Coordinator of the project. Sub-assistant Agriculture Officer Shamsher Ali told BSS that the vegetable farming in Barind land is now plentiful. Farmers are seen sending their fresh vegetables to different cities including the capital Dhaka after meeting up the local demands regularly, he added. Besides, acreage of the farming is increasing gradually due to more income from small land.
Shariful Islam, Assistant Engineer of Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA), said the farmers are seen humming towards vegetable farming in the dried Barind land.
He also said the BMDA has been working to promote various less-irrigation consuming crops including vegetables to lessen the gradually mounting pressure on underground water.
Shamsul Haque, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), said his field level officials and staff were given instruction to promote various water-saving crops and vegetables through community involvement in the area.
He said community involvement is crucial for sustainability of vegetable farming activities. The potential farmers were given training in the cultivation.
They are also being taught processing and growing methods that optimize the nutritional value of foods.
Agriculturist Haque said varieties of vegetables are available in the local markets round the years because of regular farming of the crops along with other seasonal fruits and crops.
DAE and Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) have been providing necessary supports 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.
Dr Shakhawat Hossain, Senior Scientific Officer of On-Farm Research Division of BARI, said use of vacant spaces for producing fruits and vegetables has been seen as a potential means for gradual development in the life of the downtrodden in the region.
He said the interested farmers, particularly the poor and marginal ones, are being given preference to use BARI’s Tested Pattern Technology in their gardening activities around homesteads. The farmers are producing traditional fruits and vegetables round the year.
