Field day of cultivating vitamin and food value enriched vegetables held in Babuganj of Barisal

Peasants Day in the field for disseminating nutritional messages through cultivating Vegetables and Orange Flesh Sweet Potato (OFSP) held on Tuesday at Karmullakathi under Dehergati union of Babuganj upazila in Barisal district.It was arranged by BRAC Agriculture and Food Security Program under USAID Horticulture Project.Shahjahan Shikdar, former chairman of Dehergati UP presided over the field-day programme at the courtyard of farmer Shahjahan Haoladar.It was conducted by Saiful Islam, regional manager of Brac agiculture and food security programme.Among others Dr. Babulal Nag, principal scientific officer of the regional agriculture research institute, Ratan Kumar Mandal, upazila agriculture officer, Manowar Hossain, field coordinator, Ripan Chandra Mandal, District BRAC representative,The programme was attended by more than one hundred local government representatives, farmers, elites, officials.The speak ers and organizers said main objective of the Field Day to cultivating vitamin and food value enriched Vegetables and Orange Flesh Sweet Potato (OFSP) in the crop fields was to familiar the participants and stake holders with the improved agricultural technology as well as to disseminate that technology to local farmers.Under this USAID funded programme more than one lakh peasants’ and marginal farmers of southern region, including 1,650 of Babuganj upazila, were given cash, seed, fertiliser, irrigation, technological assistance and training on cultivating vegetables, potato, sweet potato at the crop fields and courtyards, the organizers told.The production rate of Orange Flesh Sweet Potato (OFSP) was 340 mound per acre and 840 mound per hector, told the cultivator Shahjahan Haoladar.In the programme verities of food dishes prepared with Orange Flesh Sweet Potato (OFSP) were exhibited and served to the participants.Barisal Correspondent