‘Nutrition garden’ a boon to Magura poor people amid high prices of veg
OUR CORRESPONDENT | Monday, 2 November 2020
MAGURA, Nov 01: 'Nutrition garden' has come as a boon to the destitute as vegetables prices have registered a sharp rise in the district.
Potato is now being sold in the retail market at Tk 45 per kg while brinjal at Tk 60, ladies finger Tk 50, carrot at Tk 40 and kidney bean at Tk 80 per kg. The price is now beyond the reach of low income group people. In this situation destitute are consuming vegetables at free of cost from their nutrition garden.
Department of agriculture extension (DAE) Magura sources informed they cultivated vegetables in the name of nutrition garden programme under family agriculture. A total of 1120 destitute families were selected for the programme. Every family was provided with Tk 1935 for vegetables cultivation in their house yard. Now they are harvesting vegetables from their nutrition garden.
Nandulal Biswas of village Ramnagar under Magura sadar upazila said, "I set up a vegetables garden in my house yard. I have no investment in the garden as I got Tk 1935 from the DAE. Though I was advised to cultivate only spinach I cultivated brinjal with the same allotment. Now vegetables price is abnormally high. But it doesn't matter to me as I am consuming my own vegetables from nutrition garden for a month .
Rashed Khan of village Parla under Magura sadar upazila said, "I got Tk 1935 to establish nutrition garden. Though I got allotment for one decimal land, I have cultivated vegetables in 5 decimal land in my house yard with the same allotment. I am meeting up my vegetables requirement from my own garden without going to market for about two months".
When contacted, DAE deputy director Shushanta Kumar Paramanik said nutrition garden programme under family agriculture has become a successful one in Magura. The programme is giving the destitute nutrition support as well as financial benefit.