Because land in Noakhali's coastal areas is highly saline, crops were not giving the yields farmers hoped for. In search of better harvests, an Indonesian farming method called the Sorjan method was introduced in the area, and growing various vegetables this way has brought success to the district.

At present about Tk 55 crore worth of vegetables are produced each year by this method in various upazilas, including the coastal areas of Subarnachar and Hatiya. This season vegetables have been grown by the Sorjan method on 2,071 hectares (5,515 acres) in the district. The vegetables meet the district's needs and are sold in neighbouring Lakshmipur, Feni, Chattogram and other districts.

According to the district Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), vegetables are being grown by the Sorjan method on 1,850 hectares in Subarnachar, 210 hectares in Hatiya, 6 hectares in Sadar, 2 hectares in Kabirhat and 1 hectare each in Companiganj, Sonaimuri and Chatkhil upazilas, for a total of 2,071 hectares. Cucumber, bitter gourd, yardlong beans, ridge gourd, snake gourd, sweet pumpkin and bottle gourd are the main crops, with cucumber on at least 15 hectares. Tilapia, rui, carp and other fish are farmed under the trellises on the 2,071 hectares. Another 400-500 acres will be brought under the Sorjan method next season.

Growing vegetables and fish by the Sorjan method has drawn a strong response from farmers in the char areas, and because it brings high profits from little capital, it is becoming more popular among coastal farmers by the day.

In Char Clerk union of Subarnachar upazila, rows of raised ridges carry trellises planted with beans, yardlong beans, sweet pumpkin, cucumber and other vegetables. Beneath the trellises is water that looks like a lake, where various native fish are farmed.

Farmers said vegetables have been grown by the Sorjan method in the area for more than a decade, and it has begun to change their fortunes. The method became popular because of its low cost and high income, with about Tk 1 lakh worth of vegetables produced per acre. Agriculturists have called for spreading the method across the district, training farmers, and providing low-interest loans or incentives.

Monir Hossain, a farmer from Ward 9 of Char Clerk union, said: "Our fields used to yield very little. Now, growing vegetables by the Sorjan method, we make a profit of Tk 2 to 2.5 lakh a year after costs, and our household runs well on it."

Farmer Farid Uddin said: "I am now growing cucumber, beans and fish on one acre. We are very happy with what we earn from selling the vegetables and fish from our own land."

Jafar Ahmed, a wholesale buyer, said: "We buy vegetables from char farmers and sell them in Subarnachar, Maijdee, Dattarhat and other markets. This season I have bought Tk 5 lakh worth of vegetables from farmers, including 40,000 kg of cucumber at Tk 8, 1,100 kg of beans at Tk 20, and 3,000 kg of snake gourd at Tk 18, as well as bottle gourd."

Subarnachar upazila agriculture officer Harun Or Rashid said high-yielding vegetables such as cucumber, yardlong beans, ridge gourd and snake gourd are now grown by the Sorjan method on about 2,000 acres in the area. The DAE provides farmers with training, seed, fertiliser and other necessary support.

Shahidul Haque, deputy director of the district DAE, said that as interest in the Sorjan method grows among local people in Noakhali's char areas, the area under cultivation will be increased further next season.

Source: Dhaka Times. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.