Under the government’s agricultural incentive programme for the 2025–26 fiscal year, free winter vegetable seeds and fertiliser have been distributed among 1,000 small and marginal farmers in Ishwardi Upazila of Pabna.
The distribution initiative, organised by the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), was inaugurated on Tuesday at 11am at the office of the Upazila Agriculture Officer. Ishwardi Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Moniruzzaman attended as chief guest and formally launched the programme by handing over seed and fertiliser packages to participating farmers.
The event was presided over by Upazila Agriculture Officer and agriculturist Abdul Momin, who also delivered the welcome speech. Present at the ceremony were Livestock Officer Aklima Khatun, Senior Fisheries Officer Abdur Rahman Khan, Project Implementation Officer Shihab Uddin, Rural Development Officer Rajibul Hasan, and Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officers Sujan Kumar Roy and Zahid Hasan, among other officials and beneficiaries.
According to the DAE, winter vegetable seeds including bottle gourd, cucumber, sweet pumpkin, aubergine, peas, radish, red amaranth, spinach and local leafy vegetable “batishak”, along with DAP and MOP fertiliser, were allocated across all seven unions and the municipal area.
The 1,000 beneficiaries were distributed as follows: Municipality 35, Sara 105, Pakshi 75, Muladuli 100, Dashuria 105, Salimpur 185, Sahapur 265 and Laxmikunda 130 farmers. Of these, 250 farmers received seeds for homestead cultivation, while 750 farmers were provided with seeds for field-level production — including 105 for bottle gourd, 160 for aubergine, 315 for sweet pumpkin and 170 for cucumber. Each farmer also received 10kg of DAP and 10kg of MOP fertiliser.
Agriculture Officer Abdul Momin said the government is committed to ensuring safe and nutritious food and is therefore encouraging homestead vegetable cultivation. This initiative will help double production while increasing farmers’ profits.
UNO Md Moniruzzaman urged the farmers to use the provided inputs properly.
