Family vegetable gardens boosting farmers’ income
A three-year project aims to create 4.88 lakh gardens across the country, which will provide 2.18 lakh tonnes of vegetables
Atiyar Rahman, a farmer in Magura Sadar upazila, has always cultivated crops like paddy and jute on 2.5 bighas of land throughout the year, but he never thought of growing anything on the yard in front of his house until a government project gave him incentives in this regard.
The garden that Atiyar started last year meets the demand for vegetables in his family, his brother's family and his neighbours. Besides, Atiyar makes some extra income from the vegetables grown in his home garden.
Currently, over one lakh families across the country are benefiting from growing vegetables in their yards under the project, "Family Vegetable Nutrition Garden Project".
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These families are provided with seeds, seedlings, fruit tree saplings, pest control technology, garden sprinklers, fertilisers and protective nets for year-round cultivation.
Against a target of creating vegetable gardens at 100 homes in each union, 22 have been created in about a year and a half.
These gardens are producing about 366 kg of vegetables on average in three seasons.
In addition to meeting the demand for vegetables at home, these gardens also add around Tk4,000-7,000 to the farmers' income in the three seasons.
Each farmer under the project receives seeds of 15 types of vegetables and two types of fruit tree saplings free of cost.
Seeds of various vegetable and fruit trees, including data shak (stem leaf), pui shak (Basella alba), kalmi shak (water spinach), okra, brinjal, pat shak (jute leaf), spinach, satkara (Kaffir Lime), papaya, amrha (hog plum), lemon, amlaki (Indian gooseberry), malta (citrus), mango, guava, are distributed under the project. Different types of vegetables are distributed in different areas.
Officials concerned have said the three-year project involving around Tk438 crore aims to create 4.88 lakh gardens across the country, which will provide 2.18 lakh tonnes of vegetables.
The project spent Tk5,000 on each garden in the first year. To sustain their production, Tk2,000 is allocated for the distribution of fertilisers and seeds for the second year.
The government provides organic fertilisers for the gardens. Some farmers are also receiving incentives to produce only organic fertilisers.
The project was taken up in January 2021 but its implementation started in April that year. To be eligible for the project, a farmer must have at least 1.5 decimals of land.
Project Director Dr Md Akram Hossain Chowdhury told TBS, "These gardens are examples of how to get more yield in less space through proper management methods."
"We aim to increase vegetable production significantly through these family gardens," he added.
Sahib Ali, a farmer in Cumilla's Lalmai upazila, prepared five vegetable beds in his 1.5 decimal garden as per instructions of agriculture officials. He also planted fruit trees around the garden.
"I have not had to buy leafy greens since I started the garden at my home. Sometimes I sell leafy vegetables grown in my garden and buy other types of vegetables I want. I also grow papaya and lemon in my garden," Saheb Ali told TBS.
"I did not know that such a beautiful vegetable garden could be created in such a small space. Many of my neighbors recently have started gardening in empty spaces around their houses after following me. They seek my advice frequently," he added.
Project Director Dr Md Akram Hossain Chowdhury said, "Maintaining the gardens that are being developed with all kinds of support is a big challenge. The agriculture officers are monitoring them regularly and advising the farmers so that they do not stop growing vegetables in their gardens after the project ends."
