Farmers at 8 villages opt for chemical free veg
A woman harvests chemical free vegetables from her farmland for sale at Horidev village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila. Over 100 farmer families at eight villages of the upazila have grown such vegetables by using earthworm compost fertiliser in their lands.Photo: STAR
Over a hundred farmer families at eight villages of Sadar upazila have grown chemical free vegetables by using earthworm compost fertiliser in their lands. Farmers are happy as they are getting expected yields and prices. They sell the chemical free produce in the local market after meeting their family demands. According to Firoz Babul, an agriculturist of RDRS (Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service), an NGO, at least 15 acres of land were cultivated to grow chemical free vegetables using earthworm compost fertiliser at the eight villages. The villages are Panchagram, Sindurmoti, Fokirertokeya, Horidev, Shakertari, Radha Bollov, Modhutari and Purantari under Sadar upazila. Basonti Rani, wife of Harish Chandro Roy of Horidev village said, she was supplied 200 pieces of earthworms by RDRS to make compost in June this year. "I produced 56 kgs of compost fertiliser with the help of the earthworm and cultivated bottle gourd, cucumber and coriander on 16 decimals of land beside our homestead." "Although I didn't use any chemical fertiliser and insecticides in the vegetable field, I am getting expected production,†she said. Basonti said she sells vegetables in the local market after meeting her family demand. Bijo Rani, 45, wife of Krishno Kanto Roy at the same village said that with the help of 430 pieces of earthworms in August she produced 32 kgs compost. “I cultivated bean, spinach and other vegetables on 10 decimals and got a good output. Many local people now purchase vegetables from me,†she said. Babul Chandra Roy of Panchagram village, who cultivated several items on his 22 decimals, said chemical free vegetables are in high demand at the village. “I have already sold vegetables worth Tk 6000/- after fulfilling family need and I hope to earn Tk 5000/- more,†he said. Firoz Bulbul said that farmers can get bumper vegetable production by using just earthworm compost fertiliser. Development Programme Manager of RDRS Ziaul Islam told this correspondent that they will soon launch fresh programmes at more villages in Lalmonirhat district. Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila agriculture officer Mohammad Nuruzzaman said, farmers were lately inclining towards use of earthworm compost fertiliser in many areas. "They do not need huge money to produce earthworm compost fertiliser except for some earthworms and cow dungs, he said. We always encourage the farmers to grow chemical free vegetables, he added.
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