RANGPUR, May 17: Cultivation of chemical free vegetables is gaining popularity among the farmers at different upazilas in Rangpur district as they are getting financially benefited due to lesser cost in comparison with pesticide or chemical fertilisers.
A good number of farmers at different areas under the district are now producing vegetables using eco-friendly pheromone trap instead of harmful pesticides and organic fertilisers such as vermicompost instead of chemical fertilisers.
Different varieties of toxic-free vegetable including pumpkin, eggplant, parble, bitter gourd and spiny gourd are being grown in many areas of region bundantly without using pesticides or chemical fertilisers.
Farmers said they get satisfactory production of chemical free vegetables and also earn a good profit . Such vegetables have huge demands among the people, they further said.
Jonab, a vegetable grower of Talimganj village in Mithapukur upazila said, they use vermicompost fertiliser for cultivating vegetables and never apply any pesticide to kill insects at the vegetable field. He said they use natural method like Pheromone trap to kill insects.
"I have cultivated vegetables on one bigha of land without using any kind of pesticides. After meeting up family requirements, I sell it. A number of farmer families in the village are engaged in producing vegetables in this way," said Saiful of Ranipukur area in Mithapukur upazila.
"We need not use any chemical fertiliser or pesticide to produce vegetables. Instead we use pheromone trap and vermicompost fertiliser. Such vegetables are healthy, tasty and more nutritious, " said Sabu Mia of Baniapara village under Taraganj upazila.
Talking to The Financial Express a number of farmers under the upazila said farmers have to spend a large amount of money on insecticides and chemical fertilisers on their vegetable fields. On the other hand they have to spend a nominal cost for using natural method such as pheromone trap, light trap and organic fertilisers, they added.
According to DAE sources farmers at many areas of the district have begun cultivating vegetables without chemicals as officials of department are encouraging them, and witnessing their success many farmers of the areas and adjacent areas are also showing interest to cultivate poison free vegetables, DAE sources said.
Use of organic fertiliser can improve soil fertility and also enhance crop yields. They are motivating the farmers to use such organic fertiliser instead of chemical fertilisers, sources added.
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