Grass farming changes farmers’ lot in Kurigram

Farmers of the remote char (landmass emerged from riverbed) areas in the district are opting for grass farming, finding it more profitable than farming other crops.   Farmers of several char areas of the Brahmaputra, Tista, Dharala and Dudhkumar rivers could bring wide changes in their lifestyle by cultivating the high yielding ‘Sweet Jumbo’ variety of grass on their lands.   After feeding the grass to their own cattle first, they sell a large amount of it and earn a handsome profit, which ultimately brings them economic self-sufficiency, reports UNB.   The char farmers are happy with the large production of the high yielding variety of grass that is behind their economic uplift.   The farmers of Char Kapona of the Dudhkumar river are on the way to changing their fate by cultivating ‘Sweet Jumbo’ grass.   Saiful, Bahadur, Yunus Ali, Abdul Gafur, Majibor Rahman and Abdul Jalil of Char Kapona area said they brought 2-3 bighas of land under ‘Sweet Jumbo’ grass farming.   They spent Tk2,000-3,000 in cultivating the high yielding grass on one bigha of land.   Within 50 days of sowing, they cut the grass and sold it for Tk10,000.   The grass grows again from the roots and they can reap grass from the same point after one month. They got Tk20,000 every two months by selling grass.   They earned Tk30,000 per bigha of land in three and a half months and gained Tk26,000 as profit from one bigha of land. Farmers said the cattle eat the ‘Sweet Jumbo’ grass more as it is sweet.   Abul Hossain, a farmer, said their cows grow fat after eating ‘Sweet Jumbo’ grass. They also receive training to preserve the grass during monsoon, when many farmers are compelled to sell their cows due to fodder shortage.    Sources at a local NGO said a total of 500 acres of land have been brought under grass cultivation in the eight upazilas of the district this year with a target of 75 tonnes of production.   The char areas have seen an increase in grass cultivation in the last few years. The farmers harvest grass five times from January to August.   Several non-government organisations, including DFID and Australian Aid, and the government’s Char Livelihood Programme (CLP) are implementing a number of projects for grass farming in the char areas of the northern district.   A number of private organisations are working for the development of the people in the char areas.   IDE Bangladesh, a non-government organisation, is working for commercial cultivation of high yielding grass and development of market management in the char areas of the district.   Getting support from the organisation, many farmers have contacted wholesale traders.   Abdus Salam, business development manager of the CMDI project of IDI, Bangladesh, said cultivation of nutritious grass brought blessings for the poor people by performing an important role in extending livestock resources in the char areas.   Abdur Rashid, an official of the district livestock department, said the farmers of the char areas are being greatly benefited by cultivating the high yielding grass variety.