Modern technology is transforming farming in Akkelpur upazila of Joypurhat. A polynet house set up there has become a trusted source for local farmers, who plant high-quality seedlings raised with modern temperature control to grow high-yielding crops and find new ways to profit.

The polynet house was established under the Rajshahi Division Agricultural Development Project, and farmers from various areas come every day. Many have had good yields from its seedlings.

Samsul Haque from Mathurapur union in Naogaon bought 300 Green Ball aubergine seedlings to plant on his own land. He had bought seedlings there before and got a good yield, so he returned. Farmer Khalek Hossain came for chilli seedlings for the first time, paying Tk 1,000 for 500 seedlings to plant on 6 decimals, and plans to buy other seedlings there if the crop does well.

Caretaker Abu Raihan said the house offers seedlings of chilli, aubergine, tomato, cauliflower, cabbage and year-round chilli, vegetable seedlings for rooftop garden pots and various flower seedlings. Everything is done with modern methods and seedlings are raised in cocopeat, which means they do not get damaged; they are better than soil-raised seedlings and yield more, making farmers more profit.

Sub-assistant agriculture officer Sultan Mahmud of the Akkelpur upazila agriculture office, who supervises the house, said quality seasonal vegetable seedlings are produced there with modern technology under the project, two staff work there, and nearby farmers can easily obtain good seedlings.

Upazila agriculture officer Imran Hossain said the main feature of the modern polynet house is that temperature and moisture can be controlled inside to produce high-yielding crops. The aim of the project, he said, is to introduce farmers to modern technology and help them make a profit.

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