Gaibandha: Flood-resilient vegetable farming is becoming popular among the inhabitants of char farmers including the homemakers of flood-prone areas of the district, as the method is profitable, sustainable, and risk-free. Geographically, the district is located in flood-prone areas as three major rivers including the Brahmaputra, the Teesta, and the Karatoa are flowing through the district. Consequently, the district experiences seasonal, flash, and untimely floods every year, which damage standing crops and wash away vegetables grown in home yards and surroundings, leaving char farmers and homemakers worried and hopeless about vegetable farming.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, FRIENDSHIP, a Bangladesh-based international social purpose organization, adopted flood-resilient vegetable farming through the hanging method for char farmers to help them grow sustainable and risk-free vegetables year-round. This initiative aims to meet family demands and generate economic profit by selling surplus produce to local customers. The activity is being implemented for char farmers and homemakers in Sundarganj, Fulchhari, and Sadar upazilas under the Assistance for Sustainable Development (ASD) Project supported by FRIENDSHIP Luxembourg.
As of November 20, 240 farmers in the project command areas have successfully grown various vegetables, including bottle gourd, bean, pumpkin, cucumber, lalshak, data, radish, and lady's finger. The method involves filling a sack with earth, placing vegetable seeds on the sack's surface, and hanging the sack with a bamboo stick resting on two poles. Once seeds germinate, the plants and branches are placed on a platform known locally as macha or jangla for expansion, allowing farmers to grow vegetables and achieve desired outputs.
Maksuda Begum, a housewife from Karaibari char under Kamarjani union in Sadar upazila, explained that the method is entirely risk-free since the platform used for farming does not submerge in floodwater. As a result, the method is gradually gaining popularity among other char farmers. Maksuda noted that the vegetables meet her family's needs and provide economic profits, contributing to overcoming her family's poverty-like situation.
M. Matiar Rahman, chairman of Kamarjani union Parishad, stated that he visited several farmers' homes who successfully employed this method. He observed that other char union farmers are increasingly interested in adopting this technique. The union parishad encourages and advises enthusiastic farmers to practice vegetable farming through the hanging method to alleviate poverty.
Project manager Dibakar Biswas highlighted that farmers receive need-based training to ensure successful vegetable farming using this method. Additionally, 240 sheep were distributed among char families to involve them in income-generating activities alongside vegetable farming.
Runa Khan, founder and executive director of FRIENDSHIP, emphasized that Friendship is a non-political service organization focusing on improving the socio-economic conditions of people in disaster-prone areas. She affirmed that the project targets the disaster-affected people of the upazilas in the district, aligning with the organization's mission.