Scores of marginal farmers benefit from BARI farming project

RAJSHAHI, Feb 15: Hundreds of poor and marginal farmers of various sub-urban areas and upazilas of the district are being benefited by working under Farming System Project undertaken by Research Division of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Barendra centre, Rajshahi.
More than 50 farmers of Idgahpara, Belpukur and Kadamshahar villages under Godagari Upazila have become solvent by cultivating vegetables and fruits at the court yards of their houses, rearing ducks and fishes at their ditches and ponds and poultry birds at their houses.  Researchers under BARI Farming system are assisting farmers through holding various programmes like Field Days, training on various farming technologies at houses and farms. Being informed about the benefits of Farming System, farmers of neighbouring villages, agriculturists and researchers are visiting the houses and farms under Farming System of those villages.
Afroza Begum and Rafia Khatun, farmers of Belpukur village under Godagari Upazila said, they are being benefited by selling vegetables and fruits grown at their courtyard. They further said, they can use the money for their family from selling eggs, pigeons and ducks reared at their houses.  
Rakib, Akas and Hafizur of the same village informed, they are earning profit by selling vegetables grown at their courtyard and fallow land and by rearing poultry birds at their houses. They also said, they were also preparing compost fertiliser through cattle fattening programme.
Dr. Abdus Salam, Scientific Officer of BARI, Barind Centre, Rajshahi informed the Farming System has been distributing seeds, saplings and rendering trainings and assisting through various technology to the farmers of various areas of Rajshahi for last two years. The Farming System Project is working for economic development and retaining environment of the farmers of Barind region.
Professor Dr. M. Aminul Haque, Dean of the Agriculture Faculty of Rajshahi University said, BARI Farming System is  farmers oriented and farmers' friendly project. Farmers are being financially benefited from this project and it is possible to change the socio-economic condition of farmers by introducing farming system throughout the Barind region and other parts of the region.