Rajshahi Correspondent: In Paba Upazila of Rajshahi, many families are becoming self-sufficient by developing family nutrition gardens in their backyards and fallow land.
900 poor farmer families have already developed nutritional gardens with the technical support of Upazila Agriculture Extension Department. In this way, they are getting the opportunity to earn extra money by selling the mentioned vegetables in the market just like meeting the daily nutritional needs of their family.
Jasmin Khatun, a housewife of Kumdrapukur village in Nowhata municipality of the upazila, told Jumbangla that because of the vegetable garden and ginger cultivation in bags as a spice crop in the courtyard of the homestead, besides meeting the daily vegetable needs of her family, she has also got additional income in the last one year.
He said, 'Earlier there was no money to buy curry. Apart from this, it was not possible to buy and eat at the price of the fresh food in the market. But due to the new technology of vegetable cultivation, now I can eat myself, and I can earn by selling the extra vegetables in the market. There is no cost in this cultivation technology, only physical labor is required.'
Under this project, like Jasmine Khatun, the concept of family nutrition garden in the upazila's uncultivated fallow land and homestead yard is changing the fate of many rural women. They are earning extra money besides meeting the nutritional needs of the family by producing different types of vegetables and fruits around their house in this new method.
Morjina Begum, a housewife of the same village, said that it is possible to meet the needs of vegetables all year round from the family nutrition garden.
Talked about nutrition garden with housewife Nasreen Begum of Kumdrapukur village under Paba upazila. He said that he has cultivated gourd, sweet pumpkin, kale, red cabbage, brinjal and green pepper by using only vermicompost fertilizer and organic pesticide method without using any pesticides. Now he does not have to buy any vegetables from the market. He even sold raw chillies at Tk 400 per kg. By setting up seven beds and two lofts in the courtyard of the homestead, he is cultivating all the vegetables required throughout the year.
Rahima Khatun, a female farmer of Nowhata Municipal area of the same village, said that by fulfilling the vegetable needs of her family, she is distributing vegetables to others in the village and even to her relatives.
Regarding how the project is benefiting women financially, Rahima Khatun said that she sold 4-500 rupees of vegetables in the market to meet the daily needs of the family. Earlier she had to ask her husband for money but after taking this project she no longer has to ask her husband for any money.
The project is fully self-funded by the government and started in December 2023 at Kumra Pond area.
Farzana Tasnim, agriculturist, Paba Upazila Agriculture Officer, said, "Through the project, the aim of the project is to bring uncultivated and unused homesteads under cultivation and to produce vegetable and spice crops to meet the family nutritional needs of poor farming families."
He also said that family nutrition garden through Kalikapur model on uncultivated fallow land in the courtyard of the homestead will help to meet the needs of farmers for vegetables, fruits and spices, increase income and achieve nutritional security. For that purpose, free seedlings and other materials have been provided along with training to the families to build nutritional gardens on fallow land. Apart from this, urea, DMP, MOP and organic fertilizers have been used to increase the fertility of garden soil. Various types of seeds and plant seedlings are provided along with nets for fencing along with trellis, seed storage containers for garden care and maintenance.
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