A week long fruit bearing, timber and medicinal tree fair began on the premises of Independence Square of the town at Gaibandha on Thursday afternoon amid much enthusiasm to all the concerned.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) and Social Forest Department (SFD) jointly have arranged the fair in cooperation with district administration.
A discussion meeting was held on Thursday afternoon with deputy director of DAE Dr. SM Ferdous in the chair.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Abdul Matin addressed the function as the chief guest, and civil surgeon Dr. ABM Abu Hanif, mayor of Gaibandha Municipality Advocate Shah Masud Zahangir Kabir Milon, and divisional forest officer, Rangpur Rafiquzzaman Shah, were present as the special guests.
District training officer of DAE Shawkat Osman, general secretary of district nursery owners’ association Abdus Salam and journalist Sarker M. Shahiduzzaman spoke at the function, among others while Gobindaganj upazila agriculture extension officer Mosarrof Hossain was the moderator.
The speakers in a function here today underscored the need for planting more trees at the homesteads and open spaces to protect the environment from its degradation and to save the country from catastrophe of climate change.
As the prices of all species of fruits are very costly, there is no alternative to producing local and indigenous fruits abundantly to the growing demand of nutrition for the people, he added.
Terming trees as inseparable part of life and livelihood and also the best friends of the people, the speakers urged all to plant fruit bearing trees side by side with planting timber and medicinal ones and nurture those like their own children.
DC Abdul Matin in his speeches explained various beneficial aspects of trees and homestead gardening in human life and urged all to plant saplings of fruit bearing and timber trees around their homesteads to help maintain ecological balance.
The DC also sought whole hearted cooperation of all to build social movement for planting all types of trees in the district to benefit the people both economically and nutritionally.
DD of DAE Dr. SM Ferdous in his concluding speeches called upon all to visit the fair with their children and to buy different saplings of fruit bearing tress from it to boost production of fruits to meet its growing demand.
Later, the DC distributed saplings of fruit bearing and timber trees including medicinal ones to the selected farmers and went round the stalls of the fair and talked to the owners.
Earlier, DC Abdul Matin formally inaugurated the fair through cutting a red tape as the chief guest after participating in the rally on the occasion.
More than 40 stalls of different government departments, non-government organizations and private nurseries have been set up in the fair.