Homestead gardening boosts self-reliance in rural Rajshahi

Homestead gardening is contributing significantly to making rural communities in Rajshahi more self-reliant while enhancing overall food security, particularly in the vast Barind tract.

According to concerned sources, the practice is gaining momentum due to growing demand for nutritious, chemical-free food and the economic benefits it offers rural households. With support from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), people are cultivating vegetables on rooftops and fallow land to achieve self-sufficiency and generate additional income.

The initiative is helping ensure access to fresh and safe vegetables, reducing dependence on market produce often mixed with chemicals. It is also creating opportunities for cash crop production and improving the livelihoods of low-income families and smallholder farmers.

Ali Hossain, a farmer from Baroipara village in Paba upazila, said he cultivated bottle gourd, cucumber and coriander on 16 decimals of land at his homestead using organic fertiliser this year and achieved the expected yield.

Muhammad Shahabuddin, a resident of Palpur village in Godagari upazila, told BSS that he had set up a vegetable and fruit garden on two decimals of unused land around his house and now enjoys fresh produce throughout the year.

After meeting his family's needs, Shahabuddin sold produce including papaya, banana, kulboroi (plum), kamranga (star fruit), dalim (pomegranate), bottle gourd, chilli, onion and garlic, earning around Tk8,500 over the past year. He said the garden has become a major source of both income and nutrition for his family.

Piarul Islam of Phulbari village has also improved his livelihood through homestead gardening. Similarly, Shaheda Begum of Ishwaripur village described the initiative as highly beneficial in improving living standards and livelihood conditions.

Shaheda said she learned about the importance of bio-fertiliser, seed conservation and seed exchange, as well as the sustainable use of land to protect productivity. She added that her vegetables are chemical-free and mostly sold directly from her house, reducing the need to take produce to the market.

Recalling her past hardships, she said she struggled to increase her family income before starting homestead vegetable cultivation alongside rearing poultry and goats. Currently, she meets her family's nutritional needs by consuming chemical-free vegetables, milk and meat from domestic animals.

Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer Atanu Sarker said homestead gardening promotes self-sufficiency while using less groundwater, which is crucial for the drought-prone Barind tract. He added that the initiative encourages the use of unused spaces such as rooftops and bare land around homes.

"We are working together to make family gardening profitable and sustainable," he said.

DAE Additional Director Dr Azizur Rahman told BSS that promoting vegetable and fruit gardening is vital to addressing growing pressure on underground water resources, as these crops are comparatively less water-intensive. He said homestead gardening is playing an important role in improving socio-economic conditions while helping mitigate the region's water crisis.

Dr Rahman added that nutritious vegetable farming, including homestead cultivation, has achieved remarkable success in the region, which benefits from a favourable climate and abundant vegetable production. Farmers are now achieving good yields and profits from a wide range of winter and summer vegetables.

He said the promotion of sustainable and organic farming practices, particularly among the urban poor and in drought-prone areas, is contributing significantly to this success.

Rajshahi, a major hub of vegetable production, produces around 2.5 lakh tonnes of vegetables in a single season. Commonly grown varieties include cauliflower, cabbage, bottle gourd, spinach and red amaranth, alongside high-value crops such as broccoli and beans, which have gained popularity due to attractive market prices.