Farmers in Chuadanga are experiencing financial gains by cultivating vegetables using the trellis (locally known as macha) method during the monsoon season. This technique helps prevent the vegetable vines and fruits from touching the ground, significantly reducing the risk of disease and pest attacks.
The trellis method ensures cleaner produce, easier harvesting, and better prices in the market. Vegetables commonly grown using this approach include bottle gourd, snake gourd, bitter gourd, ridge gourd, pumpkin, cucumber, yard-long bean, and flat beans. The climbing nature of these plants is ideal for upward growth on trellises, leading to increased yields, better space efficiency, and reduced crop damage.
Field visits in areas like Dugdugi, Bhagirathpur, Joyrampur, Kalabaria, and Bestpur reveal that many farmers have adopted this method. Several fields in these villages now have trellis structures supporting vegetable crops.
Bhagirathpur farmer Mosharraf Hossain said that trellis farming reduces disease in crops and brings higher market prices. Shahajan, a farmer from Kalabaria, shared that he cultivated the Payel variety of bitter gourd on 25 decimals of land using this method under the "Safe and High-Value Crop Production Expansion" project and has seen significant profit after meeting household needs.
Imran Hossain, a farmer from Akundbaria village in Chuadanga Sadar Upazila, also reported success from trellis farming.
Local farmers stated that this technique often yields double the produce compared to traditional methods. Less pesticide is required, and although the initial setup cost is slightly higher, the trellis structures last 5 to 7 years with minimal annual maintenance.
According to the Chuadanga District Agriculture Office, the seasonal target for vegetable cultivation is set at 9,170 hectares, with 8,009 hectares already achieved. Of this, 2,368 hectares are under trellis cultivation. Crops include 15 ha of Dheya Kolmi, 20 ha of spine gourd, 75 ha of ridge gourd, 459 ha of bitter gourd, 758 ha of bottle gourd, 28 ha of ash gourd, 530 ha of cucumber, 492 ha of Malabar spinach, and 895 ha of pointed gourd.
Jibannagar Upazila Agriculture Officer, Agriculturist Md. Alamgir Hossain, described trellis farming in waterlogged conditions as an innovative and sustainable agricultural practice, especially suitable for climbing and upward-growing vegetables.
Kamal Uddin Molla, Deputy Director at the BADC seed production farm in Gathila, Jibannagar, said the low-labour, high-profit nature of trellis vegetable farming is helping farmers in Chuadanga achieve financial stability and growing popularity.
