RANGPUR, July 03 (BSS): Cultivation of pesticide-free vegetables on pond banks, homesteads and fallow and char lands adopting eco-friendly agricultural technologies is becoming popular among farmers in Kawnia upazila of the district.
Inspired by officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), farmers in different villages and char areas are cultivating vegetables like gourd, beans, sweet pumpkin, cabbage, cauliflower, coriander leaves, carrot, brinjal, tomato and other vegetables.
Talking to the news agency, farmers Tauhidur Rahman, Abdul Malek and Belal Hossain of Char Harin Sharma village in the upazila said they have started harvesting their pesticide-free vegetables and reaping excellent profits following lucrative prices in local markets.
Similarly, Swadhin Mian and Mohammad Asaduzzaman of Char Taluk Shahbaz village and Abdul Hakim of Khopati village in the upazila said they have cultivated vegetables on their pond banks, homesteads and fallow lands this season.
Abdul Hakim told the news agency that he has achieved commendable success in generating additional profits through pesticide-free gourd cultivation in addition to his dairy farm on the pond banks and adjoining areas in his village.
Hundreds of hybrid varieties of 'Diana' gourds hang from bamboo-made
'Macha' or 'Jhangi' (overhead fence) on the edge of the pond, where he simultaneously farming fish.
He has constructed overhead fences using bamboo, wire and yarn and hired workers to combat insect infestation using pheromone traps, light traps and other
natural methods.
This pond is filled with hybrid gourd plants and has turned green with an eye-catching look, making Hakim widely known as an "Exemplary poison-free vegetable farmer" in the area.
