Dumuria: Family nutrition gardens are opening new opportunities for farmers in Dumuria upazila of Khulna by ensuring proper use of homestead land and strengthening safe food security at the household level. These gardens are not only meeting daily vegetable needs but also enabling families to earn additional income by selling surplus produce, giving a fresh boost to the rural economy.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, more than 500 family nutrition gardens have been established in two phases across nine upazilas of Khulna under the project titled "Establishment of Family Nutrition Gardens on Unused Fallow Land and Homestead Areas." Beneficiary households have already begun harvesting vegetables from gardens designed following the Kalikapur model.
DAE sources said selected families receive two days of training-either both husband and wife or one of them-to improve their garden management skills. After the training, each garden is set up on one and a half decimals of homestead land with five north-south-oriented beds and trellises on both sides. Beds are cultivated with a variety of vegetables, while trellises support climbing plants. Fruit saplings have been planted at the garden edges to ensure year-round vegetable and fruit availability.
The government provides seeds, fertilizers, and saplings free of cost, while farmers maintain the gardens. DAE has planned to establish 100 nutrition gardens in every union of the district in phases.
Farmer Nabadwip Mondal of Baratia village under Dumuria upazila reported satisfactory yields from his garden, which meets his family's vegetable needs for 15-20 days, with surplus available for sale. His yard now grows a wide range of vegetables and even medicinal plants, serving as a model for women in coastal areas.
Another farmer, Fahrad Hossain, no longer needs to purchase vegetables from the market, while Hanif Mollah noted the planning benefits of the initiative. Farmers' groups are also facilitating monthly meetings and training sessions focused on nutrition, food safety, and organic farming, empowering women and fostering leadership.
Dumuria Upazila Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer Nurun Nahar highlighted the gardens' role in meeting year-round vegetable demand and generating income. Dumuria Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Insad Ibn Amin emphasized the initiative's goal to utilize all available land for cultivation.
Khulna DAE Deputy Director Md Nazrul Islam remarked on the project's efficiency in using fallow land to meet family vegetable requirements, particularly involving women in the training process. Additional Director of Khulna Agriculture Zone, Md Rafiqul Islam, noted the financial benefits for farmers, supported by DAE's provision of necessary agro-inputs.