When the farmers had been producing vegetables sapling on traditional method where most of the saplings were affected during collection from seedbeds and deprived of optimum yield due to injury in collecting the same for transplantation, a farmer of Shailkupa Upazila in Jhenaidah has been producing the saplings with the dust of cocoanut husk better known as cocoa pit. It has been ensuring quality saplings and growing faster on the plots. The saplings are also free from any type of injury and diseases, said farmer Saidur Rahman of Bhatai Bazer.
Farmer Saidur Rahman at his Titan agro enterprise at Mohabbatpur village adjacent to Bhatai Bazer in Shailkupa Upazila of Jhenaidah when contacted said he has been producing saplings on the plastic tray with the dust of cocoanut husk without any soil. The saplings produced there are not affected by any injury during uprooting from the seedbeds and grows faster and healthy as all the roots are intact. Showing a plot of 110 decimals of land the farmer said he was shocked when the farmers were using root affected and diseased saplings and harvesting least for want of healthy saplings.
Seeing his success on producing saplings from cocoapit easily, many farmers in the area are showing interest on how to conduct this process. Many farmers have reached him and several farmers upon asking mentioned that they are seeking guidance through internet about farming using cocoapit technic.
Saidur said that initially he had started the vegetable sapling production about two years back and got success. He has been producing of saplings of watermelon, chili, tomato. brinzal, bitter gourd, papaya, capsicum, cabbage, cauliflower etc. with cocoapit on plastic tray. Saidur has been applying herbal pesticides on his plots as he ideologically discourages chemical pest and fertilizer. Brinzal, bitter gourd, papaya, capsicum, cabbage, cauliflower, onion, garlic and some other crops are now visible at his farm. Although he was running the farm anyway, expected to get benefit from next June, he said.
The agro entrepreneur said he had hardly established the vegetables saplings and crop production farm, the local banks have been showing least interest to extend their assistance in sanctioning agro entrepreneur loans among the farmers like him although the government has been forecasting to stand by the small agro entrepreneurs with least rate of interest. For an entertainment the farmer has been nursing red Lilli on a smaller ditch in at the entrance of the farm. A number of local species of fish was released to attract the audiences and farmers.
Farmer Milton Hossain of Ramchandrapur village when contacted said he has brought his 20 decimals of land under the farming with the healthy vegetables saplings produced by Saidur Rahman. He is expecting better yield as the disease-free healthy saplings growing faster.
Deputy Director of the department of agriculture extension (DAE) in Jhenaidah Khamarbari also member secretary of district fertilizer and seeds management committee Asgar Ali when contacted said the activities of Saidur Rahman might be encouraged as he has been doing well when he was involved in producing good quality of vegetables seedlings through cocoapit using no soil. The DAE officials have been assisting their cooperation towards Saidur Rahman in programme implementation.
They are going to discuss the matter about sanctioning small agro entrepreneurs local for Saidur Rahman or others involved in this sort of innovative activities in agriculture in the meeting of district agriculture loan committee in the office of the deputy commissioner shortly, he said.
