Homestead vegetable farming changes char women's lives

Growing vegetables in their homesteads has brought good fortune to the distressed and landless women living in remote char areas in five upazilas of the district, while a woman has been profitably farming spices for the last one year in Sadar upazila.

The women of over one lakh extremely poor families in Lalmonirhat Sadar, Aditmari, Kaliganj, Hatibandha and Patgram upazilas have achieved success in overcoming poverty by farming many types of vegetables.

Shahiron Begum, 42, wife of Abdul Khaleque and mother of three children, lives on a four- decimal plot of khas land in Durakuti village under Sadar upazila. Their house is on two decimals, and she uses the rest two decimals for farming various vegetables round the year.

Khalque said he earns Tk 200 to Tk 250 daily as a farm labourer, but it is not a regular income. “If my wife had not started homestead farming, it would not have been possible to fight against poverty,” he said, adding that his wife's income gives hope of saving for the future. 

Rasheda Begum, 45, wife of Sirajul Islam of Char Narsingh village under Aditmari upazila, said, “Before taking up vegetable farming, most of the women lived in abject poverty. Now they are leading a changed life and our children are going to school and dreaming of a better Bangladesh,” she said.

Rehana Begum, 32, wife of Halim Miah of Boalmari village under Sadar upazila, said she earned around Tk 20 thousand a year by selling the vegetables she grew on her three-decimal homestead garden. “I spend the money for our children's education,” she added.

Mosaddeque Hossain, chairman of Mohishkhocha Union Parishad under Aditmari upazila, said huge quantities of vegetables are being produced by the poor women through their homestead gardening in his union, creating a big opportunity for the poor to alleviate their poverty.

Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Lalmonirhat Bidubhuson Roy said the poor women in remote villages and char areas have been improving their livelihoods through homestead vegetable cultivation, animal husbandry and other income generating activities.

Meanwhile, Asma Begum of Fulgachh village in Sadar upazila has been farming black-pepper and cardamom for the last one year, and is now thinking of farming spices on a commercial basis.

Asma Begum looks at black pepper at her nursery at Fulgachh village in the same upazila. PHOTO: STAR

“I am growing citron, mint, bell-pepper, red-chili, coriander, fresh coriander, turmeric, garlic, onion and bay leaf in my nursery. I have been earning a good profit from selling my produce,” Asma said, adding that she hoped to extend her nursery.

She started farming spices after taking a loan of Tk 60 thousand from an NGO four years ago. She gets help and support from her husband Fakar Islam and four children.

Asma said she was encouraged by her husband to grow spices, and it has turned into a hobby for her. “Many people come to my nursery for buying spices every day,” she added.

Fakar Islam said, “I and our children help my wife to expand the nursery, which is difficult as it takes a large amount of money,” he said.

Kutub Miah of the village said locals have got interested in spice farming after observing the success of Asma.

The district Scientific Officer of Spices Research Sub-Centre Ifat Kibria Al-Naim said Lalmonirhat area has sand mixed with loam, which is perfect for spice farming. “We are experimenting on how our farmers can get good output from spice farming,” he said.