In a pioneering move, the government's agriculture wing, in partnership with a private commercial bank, has introduced a novel method that allows farmers in Bangladesh to cultivate crops and vegetables in land that typically remained unutilized due to climate-induced elongated waterlogging. The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), the largest public-sector agricultural extension service provider, launched floating bed, Dali, sac gardening, homestead gardening, rooftop gardening, etc. methods, which enabled marginalized farmers to use swampy lands for cultivation of different varieties of crops that can withstand harsh conditions.
DAE has already trained 1,230 farmers in Khulna, Gopalgonj, Madaripur, Rajbari, Faridpur, Chandpur, Sirajgonj, Tangail, Bagerhat and Natore for cultivating sunflower, bitter gourd, bottle gourd, cucumber and other cash crops and vegetables.
The farmers now erect platforms over marshland to grow vegetables that generate year-round income, alleviating their financial hardship.
The farmers also grow salinity-tolerant sunflower varieties in the coastal belt in fallow land that goes uncultivated.
Md. Sabbir Hossain, Deputy Managing Director and COO of BRAC Bank, stated: "This collaboration is primed to substantially enhance farmers' yields, enabling them to better endure the harsh realities of climate change. We are encouraged by the results in the field and the life-changing impact it brings to the smallholder farmers."