Agro ecology exchange visit
Agro ecology exchange visit of farming communities to UBINIG, Bangladesh from Karuna Battambang Organization (KBO), Cambodia was organized during 18 to 25 March 2025. A five member’s team including 3 farmers and 2 staff members of KBO participated in this agro ecology exchange visit.
The main idea of this visit was to sharing the learning of agro ecology practices between UBINIG and KBO members.
On 19th March 2025 the vising team had a sharing session with Farida Akhter, Advisor, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, in the ministry. Farida Akhter shared the roles of the ministry and the activities have been carried out for the livelihood improvement and development of multi stakeholders related to livestock and fishery sectors. The KBO representatives also shared their involvement of agro ecology practices with the respective stakeholders in Cambodia.
The team visited the farming communities of Tangail, Sirajgonj, Kushtia and Pabna areas of Bangladesh. They also visited the sales outlet of Nayakrishi agricultural products in Shaishaprabartana, Dhaka.
On 20 March the team visited two villages of Tangail and had meeting with the Nayakrishi farmers. In the Nayakrishi villages the visiting team was excited to see the mixed and inter cropping including stem amaranth, sweet pumpkin, chili, brinjal, sponge gourd, coriander, onion, garlic, grass pea as standing crop in the farmers field, It was explained by the Nayakrishi farmers that for Nayakrishi practicing they are following ten principles and mixed cropping is one of them. The advantages of the mixed cropping is that it is good for soil fertility, pest management and good productivity
The visiting team visited Nayakrishi Seed Hut (NSH) in the village of Jangalia of Tangail district. The Nayakrishi farmers shared that the main idea of NSH are to collect, maintain, distribute and enhance seed circulation through active participation of farmers. Small and marginal farmers particularly women farmers are interested in the cultivation of local varieties of crops following Nayakrishi principles. Local seeds of these crops are adapted to the mixed culture practices in the changing climatic situations.
In the afternoon the team visited Ridoypur Vidyaghar (learning centers), Tangail. The Vidyaghar are interactive points between UBINIG and the farmers and the people in the community. In the Rodoypur Vidyagar they visited the Community Seed Wealth Center (CSW), nursery, mixed cropping, cow, goat and chicken raring and nayakrishi process food items.
In Sonatoni, Sirajgonj the team visited the nayakrishi farming communities and their biodiversity based ecological agriculture practices in the farmers fields. Sonatoni is an island of the Jamuna and Dhaleshwari River that the Nayakrishi is very familiar. During the visit the vising team observed the integrated farming of Nayakrishi for crops and Animal Genetic Resources. The team had very interactive discussion among the nayakrishi farmers specially women farmers.
The team visited Arshinagar Vidyaghor, Ishwardi and Nayakrishi farming communities of Pabna. It was very good learning and sharing sessions between Nayakrishi farmers and Cambodian visiting team. They also had sharing seeds among themselves.
The team visited Nabapran Akhrabari, Kushtia that have been using to network with the popular philosophers, singers, artists and people with strong spiritual values, who are strong allies of Nayakrishi Andolon.
The exchange visit was a very interactive and good learning platform in relation to biodiversity based ecological farming practices. Both Cambodian visiting team and Nayakrishi farmers became very happy through sharing the local seeds and experiences among themselves.