Subir Kumar Sarker and Samuel Hasda from Ghior, Manikganj
A village fair on the conservation and use of uncultivated plants was held at Ramdia Nali village in Ghior upazila of Manikganj, organized by local farmers with the support of BARCIK.
At the fair, 32 women farmers presented 46 species of uncultivated plants in bamboo trays, drawing huge crowds of people of all ages and professions.
Speakers at the discussion said these plants grow naturally along homesteads, ponds, canals, and field boundaries without the need for fertilizers or pesticides, making them safe and healthy foods. They also contain medicinal value useful in treating ailments for both humans and livestock.
The session was chaired by Akhlima Begum, with contributions from farmers Seema Rani Sarkar, Usha Rani Sarkar, Rehena Akhter, and Shiuli Singh. BARCIK official Subir Kumar Sarker and research assistant Shamuael Hasda also spoke.
Among the plants displayed were water spinach, velvetleaf, black taro, bush spinach, Malabar nut, ivy gourd leaf, water lily, Bermuda grass, stonecrop, khata shak, ichazhuri, gandhaphul, and gimashak.
Organizers stressed the need for continuous awareness campaigns to inform the young generation about the nutritional and medicinal value of these uncultivated plants.
