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https://krishimela.com.bd/

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Vegetable Production through Hydroponics Technique in Bangladesh: Present Status and Future Strategy



Vegetable Production through Hydroponics Technique in Bangladesh: Present Status and Future Strategy*
By
Mohidul Islam**

A summary of the paper
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   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