Group farming in Teesta char areas changes their life
Around one thousand landless women belonging to 40 groups are now engaged in growing different crops on sandy char (landmass emerging from riverbed) areas of Teesta River basin villages in Aditmari and Kaliganj upazilas under the district, thanks to the initiative of different NGOs.
"After forming a producer group with 25 landless women a year ago, we got lease of one bigha of char land for Tk 2,000 a year. We worked hard to grow crops and after meeting the production cost, each member got profit of Tk 15,000 to 18,000 from selling the produce every three months,” said Rehana Begum, leader of the 'producer group' at Char Bhotmari in Kaliganj.
“Our earning helps to change our life. Now we are happy to arrange schooling for our children,” said Nurjahan Begum, 43, a member of the producer group at Char Gobordhan village in Aditmari.
Mohammad Hossain, a land owner at Narsingh village in the same upazila, said he leased his 20 bighas of char land to a producer group as it remained abandoned for years.
The group members are getting good yield of different crops, especially peanut, he said.
Mosaddeque Hossain Chowdhury, chairman of Mahishkhocha union parishad in Aditmari upazila, said the members of producer groups in the area are changing their life with earning from cultivation on char lands.
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