Biswajit Mandol from Shyamnagar, Satkhira
There had been rich agro-biodiversity in almost every household in the coastal region. The people leaving in that region had livestock and along with different types of crops in the fields. But due to the climate induced disasters and manmade disasters (such as unplanned shrimp farming, biodiversity depletion) the rich natural diversity in the area are getting extinct day by day. However, in spite of these disasters some farmers and community people in the coastal region still practice nature based food production using their own knowledge, experience and skills and played vital role in enriching the agroecology of the area. Women farmer Aditi Rani (44) of Kalmegha village in Shyamnagar Sadar Union of Shyamnagar Upazila is one among those people who practice agroecology to restore the loss biodiversity of the region.
Aditi Rani has 5 bighas of lands where she cultivates paddy, farm diverse crops and vegetable including fish cultivation. She plants gourds, sweet pumpkins, kidney bean, brinjals, dars, bandweed, cucumber, bitter gourd, bean, different types of spinaches and leafy vegetable, ginger, turmeric, and chili. Apart from vegetable cultivation she also planted different types of fruits, woods and medicinal trees in her homestead land. Thus, mango, jam, jackfruit, coconut, banana, papaya, pomegranate, chabeda, pineapple, guava, almond, batabi lemon, amra, kadbel, bel etc. are seen in her homestead providing her fruits all the year round. Among wood trees include Mahogany, Akashmani, Shishu tree, Khai, Acacia etc.
Aditi Rani achieved incredible success by cultivating crops as well as rearing livestock. But when she came in to her in-laws house she saw that all are involved in agricultural work. She could not do anything of her own in this joint family. However, after separating from the joint family she and her husband planned to work together for bringing economic solvency in the family. They started with small poultry rearing. Gradually, she and her husband started to rear other livestock too. Presently, Aditi Rani has 4 cows, 9 goats, 25 ducks, 26 geese, 4 swans, 23 chickens. She fulfills her nutritional demand from the livestock and earn cash by selling eggs and meat. Including rearing livestock she also started cultivating diverse vegetable and crops in her land. She also earns cash by selling the vegetable and crops in the market after meeting her family needs.
Aditi Rani produces vegetable and crops using compost and vermicompost in her lands. She does not use chemical fertilizers and pesticides in her crop fields ensuring that her crops and vegetable are safe foods for all. At the same time, she uses organic pesticides and sex pheromone trap technology to suppress crop pests.
Aditi Rani said, ‘I have a small space but I use all the space properly. There are more or less different types of crops everywhere. There is always something in my house. I do not need to buy anything except oil from the market. I sell a good portion of the crops produced at home to meet the needs of my family.’ She went on saying, ‘I think I have everything in my house. There are vegetables, fruits, uncultivated plants, livestock and various types of fishes in ponds and enclosures. My husband and I grow paddy, pulse, sunflower, mustard and wheat in the field. I think my house is the source of food and nutrition.
Aditi Rani further said, ‘I conserve the seeds of all the crops that I grow every year. I distribute seeds to 15-20 people every season and provide technical support to others in making vermicompost. Seeing my success people from different areas and professions including farmers visited my houses to see my initiative and practice. I received technical support from BARCIK to practice this nature based food production. The organization has selected my house as one of its Pusti Bank (Nutritional house) where everything will be available in the house by practicing sustainable agriculture.’
Including Aditi’s house there are some such more houses in the area. BARCIK has provided supports to all these houses for transforming them to nutritional house by practicing agroecology.
Translated by Silvanus Lamin
