Vegetable farmers find success in sack-sowing method

-Farmers becoming interested in loft cultivation

- less risk of vegetable spoilage in this method

-Profit obtained by selling surplus part

Vegetable cultivation in the loft by sack system is becoming popular in Kurigram. The people of the flood affected area are happy as they have succeeded in cultivating various types of vegetables in addition to ginger cultivation in this method.

This method is gaining popularity in villages due to technical and technical support and necessary advice from government and private sector.

According to the information of the district agriculture extension department, vegetables are cultivated in 4 thousand 205 hectares of land, chillies in 725 hectares of land and ginger in 570 hectares of land. Heavy floods in July destroyed 737 hectares of vegetables, 37 hectares of chillies and 11 hectares of ginger. In such circumstances, there is increasing interest among farmers in vegetable cultivation by following alternative methods.

It was known that there are more than 450 Char and Dwipchar in 16 rivers in flood prone Kurigram district. Every year due to floods and heavy rains, the vegetables of these areas are destroyed. As a result, there is shortage of vegetables and nutrients in Char areas.

Vegetables are not available at high prices. Considering these aspects, various private companies have started vegetable cultivation in the loft in the sack system on a pilot basis. Cultivation in this farming method is done so that no problem is created. Many are following this method in the office. In the city of Kurigram, the non-governmental organization RDRS Bangladesh has successfully cultivated ginger and various types of vegetables in 200 sacks as a project in their office premises through the transboundary project.

Shahjahan Mia, the project officer of this project, said that this success is being applied to different chars. Each family in Char area is using these methods in 10 to 15 sacks. It costs only Tk 1 thousand. After eating vegetables, you can sell ginger for about Tk 12-15 thousand. If it rains excessively, you can remove the bag and keep it safely inside the house.

Tapan Kumar Saha, Emergency and Humanitarian Response Coordinator of Trans Boundary Project of Kurigram RDRS said that farmers are being made interested in vegetable cultivation in Char area to reduce the shortage of food and vegetables during floods. In addition to cucumber cultivation, various vegetables including brinjal, pepper, borbati, poishak, pumpkin are being cultivated demonstratively in the loft so that this education can be used in char.

ZH