Floating gardens: Answer to decreasing agricultural lands

A great opportunity has come before the nation in the form of an agricultural system from the south-central coastal districts of the country. This opportunity should be explored and materialised scientifically as far as possible to ease the pressure on shrinking number of cultivable lands.  

A report, recently published by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and titled 'The State of World's Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture', has highlighted that the specific agro-ecological conditions of wetlands of the south-central coastal districts of Bangladesh have led to the development of a very particular production system known as dhap or floating gardens. It has been found that pest and disease infestations are minimal in the floating gardens in the coastal districts. Pesticide use in the country's agriculture sector increased over the years to protect crops from pests that emerged following changes in climate variables. As per government data, about 37,258 tonnes of pesticides were used in the country's agriculture sector in 2017 alone.

The new system involves growing a wide range of crops-vegetables and spices on the floating beds. These floating beds are made of water hyacinths and other aquatic weeds such as topapana, dulalilata and khudipana, widely and abundantly available in the said localities. The crop seeds are prepared separately in containers using a structure called a tema, made of locally-available peat soil and wrapped in coconut coir for use. Seedlings grown in tema are subsequently transplanted in the floating garden beds.

During the summer season, vegetables like okra, ribbed gourd, Indian spinach, brinjal, cucumber, red amaranth, stem amaranth and wax gourd are grown in these gardens. The main crops that are grown in winter are turnip, cabbage, cauliflower, tomato and red amaranth. Spices like turmeric and chilli are also grown in these beds.

Mixed intercropping is the predominant form of production in floating gardens. External input requirements and production costs are low in the system as decomposed water hyacinths are used as fertiliser. Under flooded conditions, the open water is used for fishing.

As per the FAO report, the production yields are so satisfactory in the floating gardens that this production system can be the best food production and livelihood option for 60 to 90 per cent people in the local communities. However, the specific,  growing conditions in this system that are currently followed are difficult indeed. It is necessary to improve the production system scientifically and strengthen the social organisation. It is also necessary to improve the distribution of activities at the local level. At the same time, improvement of product marketing, developing scientifically-recommended crop-production packages and agro-processing activities are also necessary to ease the work required for this system.

The government can come forward to help and encourage the system sufficiently and scientifically in order to ease the efforts of the cultivators. Under such circumstances, the system will last.

Sarwar Md. Saifullah Khaled is a retired Professor of Economics, BCS General Education Cadre.

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