Farida Parveen and Alpona Mistri awarded Bangabandhu Agriculture Medal

Women farmers Farida Parveen and Alpona Mistri have been awarded ‘Bangabandhu Agriculture Medal’ for their outstanding contribution in Agriculture. Both of them received bronze medals from the honorable Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina in a program held on 13 December, 2014 held at Osmani Smriti Milanayaton in Dhaka. Farida Parveen and Alpona Mistri have been conserving agro-biodiversity through conducting and adopting sustainable agriculture in Shymanagar of Satkhira district, the coastal belt areas of Bangladesh. BARCIK congratulates them for their achivement and feels proud of having the opportunity to work these women!

Story of Farida Parveen

Farida Parveen lives in Haibatpur village of Shymnagar of Satkhira district! She has 5 family members and including homestead she possesses 2 Bigha of lands. There are diverse vegetable, spinaches, both in her field and bamboo made dais! Lots of local varieties of fishes in her small ponds located just in her house yard! She conducted varietals trial with local rice varieties and succeeded to select local suitable and adaptable local varieties. She shares her invention with other farmers as well. She does not depend on others for her livelihood; she is quite unlike to other women and farmers in the area. She initiates such a farm at her house where she could collect all necessities needed for her family! Her house is known as “Farida Parveen Krihsi Bari” means agriculture farm of Farida Parveen to others. Her husband is a traditional healer and knows the use of various medicinal plants. There are many unknown medicinal plants in her house yard as well. Farida Parveen has already become the role model for other women in the area. She still inspires other women to be united resulted in the formation of women farmer’s organization in her village. The members of the organization are very much aware about their rights, about environment and biodiversity! Farida Parveen said, “We could ensure our food security as well as environmental sustainability by practicing sustainable agriculture, making proper use of our lands.” “I initiated this farm to let others know that if we wish we could surely produce crops to ensure food security of our family with our lands and with the indigenous knowledge, techniques and skills we have”

Seeing her success, people come to her for solution of their problems associated with agriculture; people consult her when they want to farm vegetable, paddy and other crops! Farida Parveen is aware about the environment and loss of biodiversity being attached with BARCIK. Thus to encourage people adopting sustainable agriculture, she distributes her conserved local varieties of crop seeds with them and discourages them using chemicals and pesticides. I even found a floating plot on the middle of her ponds where she farms vegetable. She is making proper use of her resources” While sharing her feelings regarding the award, she said, “I am really happy to receive the award from the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasian. This is very valuable and significant to me. It means to me a lot. This is recognition of my works and surely this will inspire me more doing more environment friendly farming. I want to establish a seed bank and initiate a chemical free agriculture where alike me all women will be self-sufficient. I have been involved with BARCIK since 2001 in the journey of sustainable agriculture. I am grateful to BARCIK as without the contribution of BARCIK it would not be possible for me to grab this award today.”

Story of Alpona Mistri

Alpona Rani lives in Dhumghat village of Iswaripur Union of Shymanagar of Satkhira district. Including her husband she 4 members of family. He husband is a farmer and day labor. Alpona Mistri has only one Bigha of lands but she makes the proper use of her lands cultivating diverse vegetable, crops and gain. She farms diverse crops such as guava, papaya, mango, jackfruit, banana, coconut, lemon, lichi, betel nut, apple and some other local crops. She also plants diverse medicinal plants to support her and others. The medicinal plants that she plants include: Ananto Mul, Opoprajita, Neem, Ishan Mul, Lalkewte, Shiuly, Sonajhuri, Tulsi, Madhobilota, Jatiful, Shis Akanda, Bawful, Kanful, Jhaw, Chirobosonta, Pathorkuchi, Durbaghas, Mehedi, Dutra and others. She uses these plants when get sick to get cured and serve others also.

Alpona Mistri also farms diverse vegetable in her small part of land. The vegetable and spinaches include: Potato, Tomato, Bean, kidney been, turmeric, garlic, ladies finger, gourd, wax, cauliflower, eggplant, chili, Olcopy and some other cultivated and cultivated spinaches. She also has small pond where she cultivate different types of local varieties of fishes. Thus Alpona Mistri does not need to buy either vegetable or fishes from the market except oil and salt. She rather saves the money and uses the accumulated money in different familial and household needs. She said, “I do not need to buy anything from the market for consumption except salt and oil. Thus every year I have been able to save BDT 20,000/25,000 every year. Frankly to say, there is no hardship in my family today. I am leading a sufficient life. Seeing me doing this people is getting inspiration and this gives me mental happiness. I do not use chemical fertilizers and pesticides in my vegetable and crop farming.” However, while sharing her feelings of being selected for the Bangabandhu Agriculture Medal, Alpona Mistri said, “Receiving the prize (Medal) from the Prime Minister of Bangladesh is great and joyous moment for me. I will never forget this memory. I have been able to receive the award today only because of the help and support of BARCIK. I am a poor woman. We live from hands to mouths. But BARCIK has shown us the way on how we could become sufficient without harming the environment. I want to work and contribute in the overall progress and development of the people, society and state. I extend my hearties thanks and gratitude to BARCIK, Upazila administration of Shymanagar, journalists.”

It is to mention that the Agriculture Ministry of Bangladesh every year awards the ‘Bangabandhu Agriculture Medal’ to those farmers who made huge contribution in agriculture and food production. The selection for the awards starts from the upazilla level where participants submit their application in 10 categories of the award. The Upazilla committee selects the best one from this level and thus after the selection the name of the nominee is submitted to the Agriculture Ministry. The Trusty board of the award finally declares the name of the winners. However, this year, the award given event took place on 13 December, 2014 at Dhaka Osmani Smriti Milnayatan where the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina handed over the award to 30 people and institutions among whom 5 received gold medal, 8 silver and 17 bronze medal.