RAJSHAHI, Feb 07: Akram Hossain (40) of Char Asariadah village under Godagari upazila of Rajshahi was a day labourer. Now he has attained solvency by cultivating improved variety of grass. His annual income is now Tk 0.2 million. He along with his wife lives in a concrete house with an annual income. He is also rearing milch cows. Mr Hossain sends all his children to school.
A variety of improved grass farming was behind the success of Akram Hossain. He started to cultivate grass on one bigha of land at first but now used seven bigas of land for this purpose. Following his example, Abdul Hye, Sanaullah, Sukur Ali, Helal Uddin, Shafiqul and some others of the same village also started cultivating the improved, hybrid variety of Napier and Pakchang grass and have become self reliant.
According to sources, in cooperation with Grass Production Centre in Rajabari under Godagari upazila, a huge number of people were now cultivating the improved variety of hybrid grass and also became self-reliant by selling and by feeding the grass to their cattleheads. Rajabari Grass Production Centre is a government owned farm which renders necessary assistance and advice for the farmers to produce improved variety of hybrid grass.
Aslam Arefin, an official of the Grass Production Centre informed, plenty of paddy is produced in Rajshahi region that is why there is no want of straw here and mainly straw is used as fodder for cattleheads in the upazilas of Rajshahi. But, the straw failed to supply sufficient nutrient required for smooth growth of cattleheads. For the development of animal resources in the region, Grass Development Centre in Rajabari was playing a vital role and people of various upazilas were being increasingly interested to use improved variety of grass to feed their cattle heads now rather than using only straw. He further said, nearly 200 people of six upazilas of the district have become self reliant by cultivating hybrid grass on more than 300 bighas of land.
Mijanur Rahman of Gogaram village of Godagari upazila said in his village people are being interested to cultivate hybrid Napier grass. Fallow land, lawn and corners of the houses are being used for cultivation of the Napier grass now. Moreover, hybrid grass is being cultivated mainly in char villages including Matikata, Pirijpur, Char Khidirpur, Char Alatuli, Harinbiska villages under Godagari and char Palassey, Char Fatepur villages under Bagha upazila of the district.
Habibur Rahman (30) of Char Khidirpur village said he started rearing cattleheads after finishing his Dakhil examination in 2011. His father is a van puller and it was not possible to continue his studies further. In 2012, he started Napier grass cultivation in his fragment of land. Now, by taking lease of three bighas of land, he cultivates grass there. He earns nearly Taka 150,000 a year from grass trading and rearing of cattleheads.
Animal Resource Office sources in Godagri informed, due to a high price of straw and fodder, the demand of improved variety, hybrid grass has been increased. For this reason, many low income group people like van pullers and day labourers were being increasingly interested to cultivate hybrid grass in their outer courtyard and even or in fragment of land and in fields. District animal resources department was supplying 'cutting' of the hybrid grass free of cost to the farmers.
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