RAJSHAHI, Feb 12, 2023 (BSS) - Shefali Tudu, 42, a member of Mundumala Mohila Somobai Samity in Tanore Upazila in the district, has brought happiness to their four-member family through homestead gardening after taking loan from the cooperative association.

Talking to BSS here Saturday, Tudu said they have been producing chemical-free vegetables, using vermin-compost. They are also selling some vegetables in the local market after meeting the family's demand.

She added chemical-free vegetables are in high demand at the village, and locals purchase the vegetables at higher prices.  

They cultivate red leafy, bottle gourd, carrot, snake gourd and napa shak on 40 decimals of land by using bio-fertilizer.  

Tudu does not go to the local market to sell the vegetables, rather villagers come to her home to purchase vegetables at high prices.

If all the farmers grow chemical-free vegetables by using vermicompost on their lands, it will meet people's demand for chemical-free foods, Tudu continued.

Suborna Khatun, 45, a resident of Bidirpur village at Mohanpur Upazila, has become an icon for her various income-generating cooperative activities.

"I had taken Taka 15,000 from our Ghashful Mohila Somobai Samity in Mohanpur Upazila of the district as loan for the first time in 2016," she said.

She has expanded her ventures to diversified fields, including homestead gardening, poultry birds rearing, beef fattening and potato farming at present after the best use of the borrowed money.

"I have learnt how to become self-reliant through income-generating activities and to contribute to society," she said.

Rozina Begum, 38, of Khoira village under Mohanpur upazila has become almost self-reliant through manufacturing vermi-compost. With her husband Abu Bakkar's close collaboration, she established a household factory for manufacturing organic fertilizer.  

Vermicompost fertilizer, one kind of organic fertilizer made from earthworm, has started becoming popular in the region.

Rozina Begum is now an ideal in their village as she shed the light on knowledge of producing vermicompost fertilizer.

She said only earthworm and cow-dung are used in producing vermicompost fertilizer which also helps protect the environment, maintain fertility of the land, increase resistance power of crops against diseases and escalate crops production.

Cooperative has taught the village people to help each other and eradicate their plights, she added.

As a whole, cooperatives have become a boon for many rural people, particularly the women, as they are improving their living and livelihood conditions through engagement in the cooperative activities in the region.

Muhammad Nurannabi, Joint Registrar of the Department of Cooperative, said a total of 4,658 cooperative members were imparted mobile training to make them able in operating different income-generating activities competently.

Apart from this, 775 cooperative members, including 425 women, were given institutional training in the regional cooperative training center in Naogaon during the last fiscal year.

They have been working relentlessly to improve the socio-economic condition of the cross-sections of people through organizing them.

Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Mohila Somobai Samity has been formed in 28 upazilas.

There are 32,221 cooperative societies consisting of 14.68 lakh members in all 67 upazilas of eight districts in Rajshahi division and the societies have mobilized deposits of around Taka 1,472.87 crore at present.

A project titled "Livelihood Development of Underprivileged Women through rearing improved cows" is being implemented in 12 cooperative societies in six upazilas of four districts in the division.  

Under the project, the beneficiary women were given loans worth around Taka 20.94 crore.

Nurannabi said loans of around Taka 24.10 crore were disbursed among the members of 195 cooperative societies in 200 Ashrayan Projects in the division.