Cultivating fallow lands can help alleviate poverty

RAJSHAHI, Mar 11 (BSS): Both urban and rural poverty could be reduced together with meeting up nutritional demands to a greater extent through boosting vegetables, fruits and crops production by making the best use of the homestead natural resources. Agricultural experts and horticulturists said the people in general should come forward for cultivating vegetables, fruits and crops on the fallow lands surrounding their dwelling houses and rooftops, which can ensure availability of fresh and pollution-free fruits and vegetables. They said that use of vacant spaces for producing fruits and vegetables has been adjudged as potential means for gradual development in the life of povertystricken communities coupled with the low and middle income groups. Currently, they said that most of the commercial growers are seen using harmful insecticides and pesticides on the vegetables and orchards for gaining extra benefits resulting in massive health hazards. However, the problems could easily be solved if all the family members consume self-produced vegetables and fruits. "Consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits are helpful in flourishing physical and mental power of the babies", said Prof Dr AB Siddiqui, director of Rajshahi Shishu Hospital. In terms of food and nutritive values green vegetables are vital as these are enriched with enormous vitamin A, B, C, calcium and iron which are essential for human body irrespective of age and sex. Prof Siddiqui said around 30,000 babies become blind due to vitamin 'A' deficiency while most of the rural pregnant mothers suffer from anemia due to iron deficiency every year in the country. Meanwhile, Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has started implementing a three year programme titled "Integrated Quality Horti­culture Development Project" with a view to bringing the farmers under the programmes, through which they could produce traditional fruits and vegetables round the year. Around 31,500 farmers will be imparted training and demonstration through the country's 43 horticulture centres till 2013 under the project, said Horticulturist Monzurul Huda of Rajshahi Horticulture Centre. Besides, he said 1600 commercial fruit gardens will be established. "We have started providing all-out cooperation like necessary training and required inputs including vegetable seeds, fruit-tree sapling, fertilizer and pesticides to the farmers to grow fruits and vegetables for their own consumption and extra earning by selling those," said Mr Huda. The growers are getting quality seeds for producing mainly papaya, banana, kulboroi, kamranga, dalim, bean, bottle gourd, tomato, radish, red amaranth, spinach, batishak, cabbage, garden pea, bush bean, aubergine, chili, onion and garlic. Apart from this, they will plant different fruit-bearing trees like mango, litchi, guava, berry, seedless lemon, pummelo, pear, coconut and betel nut.