Mixed gardening sees success in Madhupur

Farmers use the same plot for growing several fruits and vegetables

Mixed gardening, the practice of growing different fruits and crops on the same land, sees success in Madhupur garh area of the district.

The hilly lands in the region are suitable for the innovative cultivation that brings extra profit, said farmers and agricultural officials.

Ainal Haque of Jangalia village in Madhupur upazila earlier cultivated pineapple on his 60 decimals of land and got around Tk 60 thousand as profit from the yield after 18 months.

Now, the 25-year-old youth is cultivating pineapple, banana, papaya, ginger, turmeric, arum, and green chilly at the same time on the same land, following suggestions from local agricultural officials.

“I hope I can sell the yields of the seven fruits and crops for Tk 1.2 lakh to Tk 1.5 lakh this season,” Ainal said.

However, the mixed cultivation requires some more fertilisers and extra care, he said.

Getting pineapple yield needs around 18 months, banana one year, papaya six to eight months, ginger three to four months, turmeric five to six months and green chilly one to two months, said Javed Ali, owner of another mixed garden at the same village.

“Now, I am getting money from the same field throughout the year by selling different fruits and crops at different periods,” he added.

Abdul Hakim, 50, a farmer of Aronkhola village, cultivated different fruits and crops including mango, pineapple, banana, papaya, ginger, arum, turmeric, kalomegh (a medicinal plant) and akashmoni (a timber plant) on his orchard covering 420 decimals of land.

“I have already sold ginger, turmeric, arum and kalomegh from the field. Now I am selling pineapple, banana and papaya at Jalchhatra market,” he said.

“Mixed gardening is practised on about 2000 hectares of lands in the upazila. As it brings more profit than cultivation of a single item like pineapple or banana, many farmers are showing interest in the mixed cultivation,” said Hazrat Ali, upazila agriculture officer of Madhupur.

At a view exchange meeting with the local farmers at Jangalia village on December 11 last year, Director General of the Department of Agriculture Extension Hamidur Rahman appreciated the innovative farming in Madhupur.

“As mixed gardening sees success here, it will be extended to other areas of the country where the land is suitable for the same,” he said.

Source: The Daily Star. Date: February 11, 2016

http://www.thedailystar.net/country/mixed-gardening-sees-success-madhupur-411493