Fish farmers of Ishwardi benefited by cultivating vegetables beside pond

Ishwardi (Pabna) Correspondent :
Sujan Dewan of Marmi village cultivates fish in two ponds. He said, besides fish farming, he has planted banana, papaya, brinjal and beans. In addition to meeting the needs of the family, these poison-free vegetables are sold in the market to raise the cost of fish farming. The fortunes of the fish farmers of Pabna’s Ishwardi have changed by planting vegetables and native fruits on the pond. 35 to 40 percent of the profit from fish farming comes from pond side vegetable and native fruit and vegetable plantations.
About 600 fish farmers in Dashuria and Muladuli Union of Ishwardi are systematically planting vegetables and local fruits. Padma and Chamgara Bill in about 10 villages of Dashuria and Muladuli Union. Due to inundation throughout the year, most of the land in this bill did not produce any crops at one time. Even if there are crops in the small land of Bill, they are one crop land. Therefore, digging of ponds has been started in these lands. Bills can be seen around, giant bills as far as the eye can see, a touch of green. Gourds, pumpkins, cucumbers, shrimps, beans, barbati, puishak are hanging in the loft of the pond. Apart from this, various vegetables are being cultivated, including gourd, bitter gourd, brinjal. Apart from this, there has been a large yield of native banana and papaya in the pond.
In just a span of 10 years, about six hundred ponds were dug in two bills. Banks are widened so that vegetables and native fruits can be cultivated. Fish farmers have made a radical change in the perception that farmers are being harassed by digging ponds by destroying cropland. Besides fish, the fortunes of many have changed by cultivating vegetables and fruits.
According to the office of the Upazila Agriculture Officer, no arable land including ponds should be left fallow. That is why the agricultural officers are active at the field level. Agriculture sub-assistant officers are encouraging cultivation of crops in ponds, house yards, abandoned land.
Rafiqul Islam Majhi, a member of Dashuria Union Parishad, said that there are about 600 ponds in Padma and Chamgara between 10 villages including Marmi, Shyampur, Sultanpur, Hatigara. Besides fish farming in these ponds, the days of the farmers have changed by cultivating vegetables on the banks of the ponds. Now they are independent.
Upazila Fisheries Extension Officer Zakia Sultana said that according to the 2017-18 survey, there are 2,476 ponds in the upazila. Currently, the number of ponds has increased a lot. The instructions came from the Prime Minister’s office. Therefore, instructions have been given for the cultivation of vegetables and local fruits on the banks of the pond. The benefits are already there.
Agriculture officer Mita Sarkar said that the agriculture department is working to bring all arable land under cultivation. Agriculture sub-assistant officers are working at the field level so that the bank of every pond in the upazila is brought under cultivation.