Expanded cultivation of vegetables on homesteads has brought about a revolution in the char economy with fortune to thousands of the extremely poor and landless families living on the Brahmaputra basin in recent years.
More than 120,000 extremely poor char households of ten northwestern districts have become self-reliant so far through vegetable cultivation on their raised plinths and selling the extra produce after meeting their own nutrition demand since 2004.
The char people have achieved the success through cultivating vegetables on their tiny homesteads along with other income generating activities driving away ‘monga’ or the seasonal food shortage to lead better life under assistance of the Char Livelihoods Programme (CLP), reports BSS.
Under the comprehensive CLP activities, the poor char families are being assisted to escape floods through raising plinths and make them self-reliant through various income generation activities, including homesteads gardening, under adverse situation.
Horticulture Specialist of the Department of Agriculture Extension Khondker Mesbahul Islam said char people are cultivating pumpkin, sweet gourd, bitter gourd, bottle gourd, pointed gourd, chilli, brinjal, cucumber, snake gourd, long beans, teasel gourd, sponge gourd, cauliflower, spinach and red amaranth, garlic and other vegetables.
According to CLP sources, 55,000 poorest households were benefited under CLP phase-I during 2004-2010 and 72,000 out of 78,000 households so far under phase-II (2010-2016) to improve livelihoods of 1.9 million extremely poor char people by 2016.
The UKaid through the Department for International Development and Australian Government through Australian Agency for International Development have been supporting for implementation of the comprehensive CLP activities.
The Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives of Bangladesh Government have been sponsoring implementation of the comprehensive programme with the management of Maxwell Stamp Plc.
Agriculture and Environment Coordinator of RDRS Bangladesh Mamunur Rashid and Chilmari Upazila Agriculture Officer Nazrul Islam said the CLP has been working successfully with the extremely poor char households to improve their livelihoods.
