Every year rain, tidal water and saline water, driven by climate change, damaged the vegetables grown by farmers on the chars of Bhola. This year, however, the farmers have grouped together and grown their vegetables on raised trellises to protect the crop, and the results have surprised many. Under the new method the fields have been spared these hazards, and there has been no disease or pest attack. With a strong harvest in the fields, the farmers are smiling.

Farmers on the isolated Majher Char in Kachia union of Bhola Sadar upazila and the isolated Madanpur char in Daulatkhan upazila said they have been growing various vegetables on these remote chars every year. But every year rain, tides and saline water got into the fields and they suffered losses. This year, to avoid those losses, they began growing vegetables on trellises on both chars.

Farmers Monir Hossain and Md Harun of Majher Char village in Sadar, and Md Yusus, Md Siddik and Belal Hossain of Madanpur in Daulatkhan, said the farmers of the two chars formed separate groups and built high trellises on their land with bamboo, sticks and netting to protect the crop from natural disasters. Under the trellises they raised the soil and grew ridge gourd, sponge gourd, snake gourd, cucumber, bottle gourd, pumpkin, tomato and other vegetables.

They said that with this trellis method, rain, tidal and saline water cannot get into the fields, and even if water does come in, the crop is not damaged because the trellises are high.

Because there has been little disease or pest attack, they said, they are getting higher yields at lower cost. With the fields yielding heavily, they are hoping for bigger profits.

Md Hasan Warisul Kabir, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Bhola, said: "With this method there is less disease and pest attack in the fields, so the farmers are making a profit with higher yields at lower cost. Seeing the success of the farmer groups, other farmers will also form groups and grow vegetables on trellises next year. That will increase vegetable farming in the district. The agriculture department is always beside the farmers for their success."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.