The farm field is their classroom, and farmers, men and women, are the students. There they are taught hands-on how to produce safe food, build nutrition gardens, farm with modern methods and get higher yields at low cost. The initiative is called the Partner Field School. By combining real experience in the field with modern farming technology, it is changing long-held ideas about cultivation.
On Friday afternoon a session was held in Baniakandor village of Paglakanai union in Jhenaidah Sadar upazila, organised by the Sadar upazila agriculture office. Small farmers of different ages took part, along with students of an agricultural training institute.
The training teaches farmers safe food production, making nutrition gardens, the right use of fertiliser and seed, disease and pest control and environment-friendly farming methods. Through questions and answers and hands-on practice, participants also get the chance to share their own experience.
Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Masud Rana and Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer Shahanara Khatun of the Baniakandor block were present.
Farmer Bithi Khatun said they used to farm on the basis of their own experience. Now the training is giving them new ideas about fertiliser, seed and crop care, which has made good yields possible at lower cost.
Farmer Ripon Hossain said he had learned various techniques of nutrition and vegetable growing at the school. Using them, he is able to grow more vegetables at little cost.
Student Nishita Biswas said she was learning to apply fertiliser according to the crop’s needs, to control disease and pests and to protect soil health. This has increased her enthusiasm for producing safe crops.
Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Masud Rana said the Partner Field School was organised to make small farmers skilled in modern farming technology, better nutrition and safe food production. The main aim is for farmers to produce more at lower cost while securing their families’ nutrition, he said.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report