By Khadija Akter Lita and Rukhsana Rumi from Netrakona
With a call for poison-free agriculture, climate justice, and food sovereignty, the Kailati Agroecology Learning Center and BARCIK participated in the Netrokona Sadar Upazila Agriculture Fair 2025. The three-day fair, organized by the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Netrokona, concluded recently with wide participation from farmers, institutions, and agro-based organizations.
The fair was inaugurated by Amirul Islam, Deputy Director of the Netrokona District DAE. Among the guests present in the event include Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Asma Binte Rafiq, Upazila Agriculture Officer Rehnoma Naurin, officials of the DAE, and BARCIK representatives including Regional Coordinator Md. Ohidur Rahman, Shankar Mrong, Rokhsana Rumi, Khadija Akter Lita, and Nurul Haque, alongside farmers and women farmers.
After the inauguration, the Deputy Director, the UNO, and other guests visited the stalls and interacted with farmers and BARCIK officials to learn about the exhibits. BARCIK showcased a diverse range of vegetables, 40 varieties of uncultivated foods, 100 selected local rice varieties, materials for preparing organic pesticides, 13 types of soil from the Mymensingh region, and pest-free awareness displays.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Director Amirul Islam said, “Local varieties have not disappeared. BARCIK is expanding their cultivation among farmers in this region. This year, a significant amount of local varieties were cultivated during the Aman season in Netrokona. We cannot survive by relying solely on foreign varieties. Local varieties and indigenous technologies are our foundation. We must protect our own resources.”
Woman farmer Parvin Akter said, “We conserve our own seeds and cultivate them. The yields are good. We prepare organic fertilizer ourselves and use it in vegetable fields, which keeps the soil healthy and allows us to consume safe food.”
