Perching method becomes popular in Gopalganj

GOPALGANJ, Apr 02: A perching method that is discovered as alternative to pesticide has gained popularity among the rural farmers of the district.
Farmers say the perching method is playing a significant role in protecting paddy fields from pest attacks.
An indiscriminate use of toxic pesticides is threatening the ecology as some indigenous species of fish have already become extinct while many others are on the verge of extinction, sources say.
Mondira Halder, sub-assistant agriculture officer, says the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Gopalganj has already started a motivational programme among farmers to apply the method on their paddy fields.
As per this motivation, farmers have erected bamboo poles or branch trees on their paddy fields at a particular distance.
In search of food, birds perch on the poles and eat the pests that harm the growth of paddy plants.
Kawsar Munshi (40), a farmer of Durgapur village under Gopalganj Sadar Upazila, said, "I've been using this perching method for three years on my paddy fields."
The natural method is effective to fight pest attacks. Tk 400 would have been needed to buy insecticide for a bigha of paddy field.
At present, the farmers of this region have become accustomed to using this method after getting effective results to save their paddy fields from pest attacks, Kawsar adds.
Abdul Kadir Sarder, deputy director at the DAE in Gopalganj, has told the FE that few years back, they undertook this programme to popularise the method among farmers so that farmers could produce paddy without using pesticide.
"We're trying our best to bring all the paddy fields of the district under this perching method though motivation is going on among farmers to help growers produce BORO paddy without using insecticides on the land," the DD added.
Shafiqul Khan, 25, of Durgapur village under Sadar Upazila said the perching method is full natural and effective which save paddy from pest attacks.
"The method is very much helpful for poor farmers and spending cost too much below," he adds.
Mafroza Akther, upazila agriculture officer in Gopalganj Sadar, told the FE that rural farmers are using this effective natural method.
And farmers are interested in applying this method to protect their paddy from pest attacks.
Meanwhile, the DAE, Gopalganj has taken massive programme to cultivate BORO paddy on 81,380 hectares of land this season.
Of the total land, 20,958 hectares is under Gopalganj Sadar Upazila and 65,000 farmers are involved in this paddy cultivation.