Cultivation of 16 crops in fallow pastures in Rajshahi

Even four years ago, people used to sprinkle the seeds of Barajor Dhincha on Padma pastures. Later he used that plant as fuel. Fearing erosion, farmers did not plant crops there. But now 16 types of crops are cultivated in that pasture. About 800 farmers of that area are benefiting financially.

Char is located in Kasba Mouza of Haripur Union of Paba Upazila of Rajshahi. Recently, it was seen on the surface, farmers are busy picking tomatoes from the field. Truckloads of tomatoes are being taken. Nazrul Islam was busy picking tomatoes.

At one stage he brought up the story of this pasture cultivation. He said that farmer Saban Molla of Kasba village started cultivating tomatoes for the first time in this pasture four years ago. The first time the yield was not good. Got a good yield next time. Seeing him, he (Nazrul) also started cultivating tomatoes. He also did not get a good tomato yield the first time. Got a great yield next time.

Nazrul Islam cultivated tomato, cabbage, onion, sunflower, gourd, potato, wheat, pepper, kesari, banana, radish, corn and cucumber. He showed him a piece of land, where jute was first cultivated. After harvesting jute, he cultivates tomatoes. Plant potato seedlings in the ground before the tomatoes grow. Now the new tomato plants are growing in the tomato loft.

Nazrul Islam said, this season, he has earned five lakh taka excluding the cost of tomatoes. There are still tomatoes left to eat. This time the tree has been damaged due to winter. Otherwise the yield of tomatoes would have been higher. Cultivating 12 bigha land on lease. In the beginning, he took a lease of three thousand rupees per bigha of land per year. Now the land owners are renting that land for 20 to 25 thousand taka.

Rezaul Karim, a farmer of the same village, was working in the onion field nearby. He sold one bigha of tomatoes for 1 lakh 20 thousand taka. About 50 thousand rupees have been spent. Cultivated coppice on 15 hectares of land. Copies have also done well. Now add onion again. Besides, he has no land of his own. Rezaul said, this time land will not be available below Tk 20,000. Seeing the good yield, the land owners are also increasing the prices.

Last year, farmer Saban Mondal was killed in a road accident on his way to Rajshahi to sell tomatoes from this field. He cultivated vegetables on 12 bigha land. After his death the sons are now cultivating the land. Saban Mondal's son Azim Mondal is cultivating fodder. He said, five bigha of land had tomatoes. Cultivated corn in two bigha, paddy in seven bigha and onion in one bigha. Phased harvest from the field. Then plant new crops.

Assistant Agriculture Officer of Alimganj Block of Paba Upazila Ashraful Islam provided technical assistance to the farmers of Char. He said, about 800 farmers cultivate 1,300 acres of land in this land. They have succeeded by producing 16 to 17 crops. Farmers here are taught safe crop production techniques. Such as use of organic fertilizers, sticky yellow traps, sex pheromone traps, use of organic pesticides are taught by hand. Adequate use of fertilizer, right herbicide at right time is recommended. Also, wheat-maize cultivation using new technologies such as bed planters is recommended.