Shilpi Begum, wife of Khajadur Rahman Sada of a remote village in Gaibandha, has achieved success by cultivating gladiolus flowers.

Shilpi Begum started cultivating gladiolus flowers on the abandoned 8 percent land adjacent to her house on the advice of SKS Foundation in between her family work. Shilpi Begum has benefited from cultivating flowers for the first time.

By spending only 3 Thousand 3 hundred taka, 3 thousand gladiolus stick flowers will be sold on that land for about 42 thousand taka, along with the seeds of those flowers, 15 thousand taka can be sold, with a total income of 57 thousand taka.

Seeing the success of Shilpi Begum in cultivating flowers, other farmers in the area are also planning to cultivate flowers. A comprehensive plan was taken to cultivate gladiolus flowers commercially through the SMAP project of SKS Foundation in Krishnapur village of Bhatgram union of Sadullapur upazila.

In that continuation, Shilpi Begum, wife of Khajadur Rahman Sada of Krishnapur village, was given training and financial assistance.

With that one-time money and her 3 thousand 300 taka, she cultivated flowers last November. She started selling flowers from the land from February 18. On the first day, Shilpi Begum sold 100 gladiolus stick flowers for 1400 taka.

It was seen on the spot that there is a flower garden behind Shilpi Begum’s house. Shilpi Begum said, one day, some people from SKS came to my house. After that, SKS trained me and other women of this village on various topics including flower cultivation.

Her son Shamiul Hasan Siam said, people flock to see the flower garden every day. On the first day, we sold 100 gladiolus flower sticks from the land. In the current market, each flower stick is being sold for 15-20 taka. Each flower stick is sold to flower traders for 12 to 14 taka. It can be sold again after two days. This showed that there is a lot of profit in flower farming.

Farmers Ronju Mia, Mahbub Mia, Haider Ali said, I saw the flower garden of Shilpi Begum. After hearing her experience in flower farming, I will also start this flower farming.

Local flower trader Nayan Sarkar said, earlier we used to bring these flowers from different places including Jessore district. Now we can buy gladiolus flowers at that price in our own district. The most important thing is that the transportation cost is low, we get fresh flowers.

Sadullapur Upazila Agriculture Officer Apurba Bhattacharya said, “If farmers come forward to cultivate high-value crops along with conventional crops, their income will increase. It will be possible to earn more even on small land. ” To sustain agriculture, it must be made profitable. And that is possible through the production of high-value and diverse crops. Gladiolus flower exhibition on the field day.

Sadullapur Upazila Agriculture Officer Apurba Bhattacharya of Gaibandha said, “If farmers come forward to cultivate high-value crops along with conventional crops, their income will increase.

It will be possible to earn more even on small land. The program was presided over by Imran Kabir, Director of the Microfinance Program of SKS Foundation. In his closing speech, he said, “SKS Foundation is working to make agriculture profitable for marginal farmers through diversification of agricultural products.

In addition to credit support, technical assistance is being provided and farmers are being connected with the government agriculture department. After the field day discussion, the participants visited a demonstration plot of gladiolus flower cultivation as part of observing the actual production of high-value and diverse crops.

Three thousand seedlings have been planted in the plot with the help of the project and the farmers’ own initiative. The concerned people said that there is a possibility of earning about 60 thousand taka from this plot. Local farmers, project participants, journalists and flower traders were present at the field day exhibition.