Women engage in farming, outdoor male counterparts

A good number of women in different areas of the district have emerged as successful independent farmers, especially of vegetables, doing better than their male counterparts.“Around five thousand women are independently engaged in farming either on their own lands or leased ones. In many cases, women are doing better than men in agriculture,” said Mohammad Nuruzzaman, Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila agriculture officer.“Three years ago, I received a 15-day training on vegetable farming from the agriculture office and started farming on four bighas of leased land at the village,” said Monowara Begum, 28, wife of Mizanul Islam at Fulgachh village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila.“By selling vegetables, I earned Tk 1 lakh in 2011. I earned Tk 1 lakh 35 thousand in 2012 and the earning from the same venture during the last seven months of this year stood at Tk 70 thousand,” said Monowara, who earlier worked as a farm labourer for Tk 100 to 125 daily.Shahana Akhter, 26, wife of Meher Ali of the same village, said she has been producing vegetables on three bighas of land taken from her husband on lease two years ago.“My husband failed to get profit from the land, but I am earning good profit by producing vegetables here,” she said.Suro Bala Rani, 32, wife of Nagendra Nath Roy of Baro Kamlabari village of Aditmari upazila, said she has been maintaining the six-member family through producing vegetables on their six biaghs of land in the village for the last four years.“Four years ago, I took six bighas of land from my husband on lease and started producing vegetables there. Now I can save Tk 70 to 80 thousand yearly after managing family expenditures including education of three children,” she said.“Women are doing better in agriculture as they are hard working and sincere to work. With proper training and technical support, they can do even better and play very positive role in the agriculture sector of the country,” said Nurul Islam of Baninagar village of Kaliganj upazila, who won the government’s ‘best farmer award’ from Lalmonirhat district this year.Abdul Mazid, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture Extension in Lalmonirhat, said, “Agriculture department provides all kinds of support to women farmers in the district as they are doing better in agriculture, especially vegetable production.”