Organic farming paves way for a healthy nation

Skill and potentiality for growth in organic agriculture has driven a Narsingdi woman to take the challenge of becoming self-reliant. By now she has not only stood on her own feet but also inspired many women to go for organic agriculture that protects the environment and has a greater socio-economic impact on a nation.

Selina Jahan is that inspirational woman who focussed on organic farming that is done without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Before becoming a successful entrepreneur, she had to face hardship to run her family. Now she herself is a happy person and also has brought happiness to many women’s life in Narsingdi by giving them opportunity to work in her organic agriculture farm and helping them earn a handsome income.

Selina Jahan, who faced hardship to run her family, has been contributing to popularize organically grown foods that have nutritional and health benefits.

She was always in a tense situation as she had to pass days without any income. But, now, she is a woman farmer-cum-entrepreneur of Narsingdi district.

Now, many local women are working with her and she has brought smiles on the faces of many women by giving them opportunity to work with a handsome income.

Virtually Selina has set an example by establishing a healthy organic agriculture farm through using organic fertilizers in Shoikarchar village of Shibpur upazila in the district.

She brought women out of home to farming on land. She inspired many women towards agriculture and involved them with diverse farming, making them self-reliant. She also inspired the rural women producing vermin-compost for organic farming.

Salina said she and her organization Grameen Krishak Daridra Bimochan Atmakallyan Sangstha started organic agriculture in 2007 with the assistance of the then Deputy Commissioner Amrita Baroi. She brought the unemployed rural women out of home and engaged them in producing Vermin compost for organic vegetables.

Salina said she cultivated organic vegetables and paddy on 25 bighas of land, getting excellent income from agriculture. She also started poultry farming and Turkey bird farming at Joynagor union of the same upazila in Narsingdi district in 2015.

Currently, there are over 10 thousand chickens and 700 Turkey birds in two farms.

She said women participation in agriculture and poultry sector has been contributing to poverty alleviation, meeting nutritional demand of people and also helping women to be financially well-off.

Salina Jahan, a pioneer of women empowerment, received Bangabandhu Jatiya Krishi Purasker from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Conventional farming can add contamination to foods, for this consumers are looking for safer and better foods. Organically grown foods are becoming popular among both consumers and farmers as these foods are part of green lifestyle.