RAJSHAHI, Sept 4, 2018 (BSS)-Production of vegetables is now being
adjudged as one of the major income-generating activities in the region
including its vast Barind tract.
Marginal farmers and poor people in the region are mostly engaged in this
venture of producing different vegetables through the best use of spaces
around homesteads almost round the year.
Various government and non-government entities concerned including
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) and Bangladesh Agriculture Research
Institute (BARI) are extending necessary cooperation including training and
inputs to the farmers.
On-Farm Research Division (OFRD) of BARI had been implementing various
types of need-based programmes to help farmers produce traditional fruits and
vegetables round the year.
The growers are now busy with vegetable farming side by side with paddy
and jute. More or less rains are experienced since beginning of the season.
As a result, the irrigation-dependent lady’s finger, corola, potol,
brinjal, chilly, cucumber and bottle gourd were cultivated without any
irrigation.
Mosharraf Hossain, a farmer of Nawhata Sheepur village under Paba upazila,
said he cultivated lady’s finger on one bigha of land after taking it on
lease at a cost of Taka of 8,000. So far, the farming needs no irrigation as
a result of necessary rainfalls.
So far, he sold the crop worth Taka 10,000 and expects more production if
weather remains favorable. Like him, many others were also benefited by the
suitable climate and rainfalls.
OFRD Senior Scientific Officer Dr Shakhawat Hossain told BSS that the
interested farmers were being given preference to use BARI’s Tested Pattern
Technology in their gardening projects around homesteads.
Rajshahi has been regarded as the country’s most prospective vegetable
producing region. The farmers have become more interested in vegetable
cultivation as they have been gaining more profit during the last couple of
years.
Apart from, vegetables’ farming becomes more profitable than other crops
in recent years bringing fortunes to thousands of farmers and commoners in
the region during the past few years.
Dev Dulal Dhali, deputy director of DAE, said use of vacant spaces for
producing vegetables has been seen as potential means for gradual development
in the life of the downtrodden in the region.
With the increase in population, demand for vegetables is also increasing
in the region. 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, he added.
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.
Considering its environmental and financial aspects, people are becoming
interested in horticulture in their homesteads recently creating a huge
demand for fruit saplings, vegetable seeds and saplings of ornamental plants.