Planting on sacks gaining popularity

Locals being interested to follow the style

Sabbir Mirza from Tarash.

Baharam Pramanik, a farmer of Nadosyedpur village in Tarash upazila of Sirajganj district, has surprised everyone by inventing a new method of ginger farming in sacks.

Due to his great and innovative works, meanwhile locals have given the name of a place as Baharam Morh (intersection) after his name. Gaining achievement in the primary stage, he is now dreaming to cultivate ginger, also a medicinal and fully spiced crop, at a large scale. His wife Shahida Begum is encouraging him by lending helping hands in his work.

It was learnt that, Baharam has started growing ginger with sacks on a fallow and uncultivated land located under the shade of a mango orchard behind his resident.

The ginger plants have already started growing. He hopes to be able to collect ginger by the end of this year. There is no alternative of ginger to enhance taste and flavor of the foods.

Ginger has a great demand as raw material in the pharmaceutical industry. Therefore, there is a high demand for ginger in the market throughout the year.

During a spot visit, this correspondent found that, farmer Baharam has cultivated ginger in a row with about 2,500 sacks of uncultivated land behind his house.

While talking, he said, “Organic and chemical fertilizers have been mixed well with alluvial soil first and then filled those in each bag. After keeping the bags in a row, two or three ginger seeds have been placed in each of them. When the soil of the sacks goes to dry, the sacks are sometimes soaked with water.”

He also said that, both local and foreign types of ginger have been cultivated in empty urea sacks. Ginger cultivation with sacks is relatively free from extra diseases, insects and costs. Drought has no impact on it as it is shaded. Highest Tk 30 to Tk 35 was spent against planting ginger on per bag.

Baharam is now expecting to produce 3.5 tonnes to 4 tonnes of ginger this year. After watching his technique, others, who live nearby his house, have also shown interest in ginger cultivating with sacks with the aim to earn a good profit easily.

Ershad Ali, a local farmer said that, many people in the area have started ginger farming after watching Baharam’s sack method. Many are also preparing to cultivate this on their yards.

Tarash Upazila Agriculture Officer Abdullah Al-Mamun said, “Ginger cultivation in sacks is a new method in this area. At Baharam Morh area in Tarash, Baharam first started ginger cultivation in sacks. Watching that, many people are showing interest in ginger cultivation in this method.”

He also said that, ginger cultivation in bags is a modern method, which can be cultivated in fruit orchards, fallow land, around the edge of the homestead, even on the roof of the house. The yield is higher than the conventional farming. Farmers will be benefited, if ginger is cultivated in this way.