Growing ginger in sacks is becoming more popular by the day in Narayanganj city. People who started with a few sacks are adding more each season. They grow the ginger in sacks in their yards, on nearby fallow land or along one side of a plot. Some are planning to grow ginger commercially as well as for their families.

The Department of Agricultural Extension in Narayanganj Sadar upazila says growing ginger in sacks costs very little. For Tk 50 to 60 a sack, about 1 to 1.5 kilograms of ginger can be harvested. A family can easily meet its own needs with a few sacks, at little cost, and anyone who wants to grow it commercially will not have to work very hard either.

Mizanur Rahman Tulu, a garment businessman in Narayanganj city, has been in the garment trade for a long time. He has built a garden on vacant land beside his garment factory and grows ginger in sacks in one part of it.

"I've had experience of gardening for a long time," Tulu said. "One day I saw on YouTube that ginger was being grown in sacks. I told the agriculture officer I wanted to grow ginger in sacks, and he helped me. First I grew ginger in 30 sacks and had a bumper harvest. This time I'm growing it in 100 sacks. If it goes well this time, next year I'll grow it commercially in 500 sacks."

"Growing ginger in sacks doesn't cost much," he said. "With a Tk 5 sack and Tk 30 of soil, it comes to about Tk 50 to 60 a sack. It doesn't need much care. First you plant it with fertiliser, then clear weeds now and then and apply pesticide. Beyond that it doesn't need much looking after."

Juman, a farmer from the Gognagar area, said: "I make my living growing various seasonal vegetables. This year, on the agriculture officers' advice, I've started growing ginger. I hope for a very good harvest. If it goes well this year, I'll grow more next year. Growing ginger in sacks can be very profitable."

Shampa Islam Nowrin, agricultural extension officer for Narayanganj Sadar upazila, said: "Since there is little farmland in the city, we are trying to expand spice crops by growing ginger in sacks. It is a profitable method and ginger can be grown in a small space. About a kilogram of ginger can be grown in each sack. A family's needs can easily be met, and it doesn't need much management."

Narayanganj Sadar upazila agriculture officer Mahmuda Hasnat said: "Ginger growing has become popular in our upazila. The advantage is that ginger grows in shady places. It can be moved easily, grown in soil brought in from elsewhere and doesn't need much space. It can be done at low cost, even on rooftops. It helps meet demand for spice crops. It is healthy, safe food, and family nutrition needs can easily be met."

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