Vegetable farming on floating aquatic plant beds begins in Gopalganj

Vegetable cultivation started in the floating beds of Water Hyacinths (kochuripana) in Kotlipara upazila of Gopalganj earlier this week.

This initiative was undertaken as a part of the Department of Agricultural Extension’s (DAE) project of expanding vegetable and spice cultivation on floating beds.

Project Director Bijoy Krishna Biswas, Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ferdous Wahid, Agricultural Officer Nitul Roy and other officials of the DAE were present to oversee the inauguration of the cultivation process at Machartara village of Kandi union in Kotalipara upazila.

“We have taken the initiative to produce crops on submerged land and waterbodies as per Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s instructions. We have constructed 60 40-meter-long floating beds with water hyacinths on the submerged lands and planted vegetable saplings on them,” said Project Director Bijoy Krishna Biswas.

In the first phase of the project, 2,000 saplings were planted. About 3,000 more bottle gourd, pumpkin, cucumber and bitter gourd saplings will be planted in the future.

He further said within 45 days the vegetables will be produced from this farm and about Tk 30 lakh worth of produce can be harvested. Some 60 local farmers will harvest and market the vegetables under the DAE’s supervision.

The Director General of DAE Badal Chandra Biswas visited the area in the upazila to oversee the cultivation process.

Kotalipara Agriculture Officer Nitul Roy said, around 8,000 bighas of land in the Kandi union of the upazila remain submerged almost all year round. From here, we have cleared the 10 km long Dharabasail Bazar-Tarur Bazar canal to bring 1,500 bighas of submerged land under cultivation.

“We have made floating beds of water hyacinths on the canal to cultivate vegetables. Water has receded from the nearby farmlands so farmers can cultivate paddy there as well,” he said.

Farmer Romela Begum, 55, of the village said there has hardly been any cultivation in the area in the past three decades due to waterlogging.

“The agriculture office cleared up the water hyacinths from the canal and made them into floating beds to cultivate vegetables. Due to the canal being cleared up, the water has receded from the farmlands,” she said adding that they are currently preparing the land for paddy farming.

The vegetable seedlings were given to the farmers as incentives. The agriculture office will also provide them with paddy seeds and fertiliser.

Kotalipara Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ferdous Wahid said, “We are working relentlessly to increase agricultural production by increasing crop cultivation. Efforts are underway to bring more waterlogged land under cultivation.”

“Apart from agricultural incentives, we are giving free vegetables and rice seedlings to the farmers. We have received a positive response from the farmers about the initiative,” he added.