Vegetable Production through
Hydroponics Technique in Bangladesh: Present Status and Future Strategy*
By
Mohidul Islam**
A summary of the paper
………………………………………………………………………………
In a
word, hydroponic culture still remain under develop or preliminary stage in
Bangladesh. Only a few institute and organization are working with the
development of hydroponic culture like BARI, BRAC, Green Leaf Agro, Alfa Agro
prantik and some universities like BAU, BSMRAU, PSTU etc.
BARI:
Horticultural Research Center (HRC) of BARI has made a remarkable progress on
hydroponic research and development mostly on vegetable and few on fruit and
flower crops with limited resources and facilities. They started research in
Bangladesh in 1998.Initially this research was limited to literature collection
and later on protocol and method development upto 2005. However, in 2006
onward, hydroponic research got sudden motion and started research on four
crops viz.tomato,stawberry,lettuce and capsicum with encouraging results.
In
2009, nine high value crops were grown successfully under this modern
production technology where cucumber,cabbage,cauliflower,lablab (dwarf) bean
and marigold were included.They conducted a projet entitled “Identification of
Production Pakage for High Value Horticultural Crops through Hydroponic
Culture” for six vegetale like tomato, capsicum, lattuce, cucumber, bitter
goard, green chilli. Now on 2011-2012, as much as 12 crops can successfully
cultivating in hydroponic methods at HRC, BARI. During last cople of years
about 100 extension personnel were trained.
NGO’s: Several
NGO’s are coming forward to disseminate the technology all over Bangladehs.
BRAC: BRAC
is the leading NGO of hydroponic cultivation in Bangladesh. They help the
landless people providing traning on hydroponic cultivation and related
equipments. In 2012, they train 100 landless people of three following
districts like Chandpur,Netrokona and Manikgonj. They also provive 10 pieces of
bucket and nutrient solution to each landless people.
Green leaf agro:
It is another NGO related with hydroponic cultivation in Bangladesh. It is
establish in 2010 as a private company but regitered as a NGO in 2011. But it
is not florished as expected because of lack of sufficient fund. They coduct
the marketing of nutriet solution but they have no developed marketing channel.
They have only a sales center at Mohakhali,Dhaka. The price of per liter
nutrient solution is 150 Tk. Only.
Others: There
are some other NGO’s initiate hydroponic cultivation in Bangladesh. They are
Alfa agro and Prantik.
Universities: In
Bangladesh, there are four agricultural university, Bangladesh Agricultural
University, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University,
Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University and Sylhet Agricultural University. The
first three have conducted research on hydroponic technique.
Some other universities also coduct reseach
on
hydroponic technique like Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Rajshahi University.
Publicity : Recently hydroponic technique
successfully able to draw a significant attention of different mass media of
Bangladesh both electronic and print media such as ATN Bangla, Diganta,
Channel-i, Banglavision, Krisikotha etc.
Future strategy :
Still
there is no well develop future strategy on development of hydroponic culture
from the corner of govt. organization. But some NGO’s and private company
coming forward with their own strategy. Already BRAC has taken strong initiatives
for the development of hydroponic
culture with a view to be the future leading organization in the field of
hydroponic culture. Another NGO, Green Leaf Agro has a future stategy to build
up four multistoried greenhouse at four divition of Bangladehs for hydroponic culture within 2015.
Recommendation :
1)
At first a judicious and realistic
future strategy should be develop by the government.
2)
Publicity is an important factor for
spreading a new technology among the people. So publicity should be much enough
through mass media for technology transfer.
3)
Cooperative production and marketing
should be developed because cooperative production and marketing of hydroponic
produce by small-scale producers could maximize profits (large-scale marketing,
while buffering risks).
4)
Training should be given to the people
especially to the landless people at a regular interval.
5)
Available loan facilities should be
establish with minimum interest.
6)
Inspection team can be establish so that
they can help the new grower with valuable suggestion at regular interval.
*A seminar paper presented at graduate school seminar
course, winter, 2012
**MS student, Dept. of Horticulture, BSMRAU, Gazipur
1706
