Vegetable farming on hanging beds

Growing vegetables on hanging beds made of bamboo, nets and polythene has turned out to be a boon for farmers under two low-lying unions in Fakirhat upazila.

Bagerhat Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) took the initiative to cultivate different varieties of vegetable on waterlogged barren land in Betaga and Piljang union of Fakirhat upazila.

Primarily, DAE installed 40 such hanging beds on 45 decimals of waterlogged land under Piljong union and 45 beds on 55 decimals in Betaga union.

According to Fakihat Upazila Agriculture Department, local farmers are getting benefit by cultivating different vegetables on a total of one acre of waterlogged land under the project.

Bagerhat DAE started the innovative method of vegetable farming at some fish enclosures, ponds and waterlogged land under the two unions on an experimental basis.

While visiting the areas this correspondent saw many farmers cultivated different vegetables like bitter gourd, sweet pumpkin, cucumber and pepper on their fallow land and the yield is quite good as well.

Pradeep Kumar, sub-assistant agriculture officer at Betaga union, said they first made some three-feet-long and three-feet-wide bamboo frames and installed those at different corners of waterlogged lands, using nets and bamboo poles.

They later set a piece of holed polythene inside it and put two-third of organic fertilizer and one-third of soil on the hanging beds before planting the vegetable seedlings there.

Farmer Alauddin Masadi of Bayarapara village union said usually his land remains under water during this time of the year and nothing can be grown there.

This year he installed 24 hanging beds in his waterlogged land and planted saplings of bitter gourd, pumpkin and gourd on those, he said, adding that many of the trees have already started flowering.

Tania Rahman, sub-assistant agriculture officer at Piljung union, said farmers can use the hanging beds for at least two years.