Farmers Field Day on Mango Field Demonstration of Good Agricultural Practices

On 26th June 2018, SNV organised a Farmers Field Day on mango field demonstration through Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). This initiative is being implemented by SNV along with its implementing partners, Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) and Centre of Excellence Agro Food Skills (CEAFS) under the project “Improving Consumer Awareness and Access to Certified Safe Tomato and Mango Products in Bangladesh”. This European Commission funded project is being carried out in 16 sub-districts of Rajshahi and Natore in Bangladesh.

A farmer group comprising of 30 farmers, out of 334 farmer groups of the targeted 10,000 mango and tomato farmers of this project of “Tirail Purbapara Safe Mango Producer Group” and about 170 farmers from surrounding areas were present at the farmers’ field day. The participants shared their knowledge on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and their learnings with other neighbouring farmers. The focus of the field day was GAP for safe and quality production of mango with the use of sex pheromone trap, clean cultivation and judicial application of pesticide.

Iqbal Ahmed, Upazila Agriculture Officer, Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Baraigram, Natore District under Ministry of Agriculture addressed the event as the Chief Guest while Md. Shafiqur Rahman Bhuyan, Chairman, CEAFS, Mahbub Ullah, Project Coordinator, Dr. Md. Shah Kamal Khan, Horticultural Expert at SNV, Farzana Tasnim, Agricultural Extension Officer, DAE, Baraigram attended the programme as special guests. Chairman of Machgaon Union Parishad Md Abdul Alim presided over the occasion as well. Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officers Mehedi Hasan, Abdul Motin, Union Parishad Member Md Mostak Ahmed and Field Facilitators of SNV were also presented at the programme.

Chief Guest Iqbal Ahmed emphasised on GAP as a positive contribution to processed products and highlighted the necessity of GAP demonstration and field days praising the initiative of SNV as very fundamental. He expressed his interest in extending cooperation from DAE regarding implementation of the project activities.

At the Mango farmers’ field day ceremony, Mahbub Ullah, Project Coordinator of SNV delivered a brief speech on the project goals and objectives and gave an overview of mango GAP demonstration.

Demonstration farmer Md. Mozammel Hossain shared his learnings and success of using different technology of GAP demonstration. The event was moderated by B. M. Saidur Rahman, District Coordinator of SNV.