The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS. Rangpur

The nursery business has put a very positive impact on the rural economy in terms of poverty alleviation, women empowerment and boosting social forestation movement of the government in northern Bangladesh.

Officials said here on Thursday that the nursery business has now become one of the most profitable ones with over 55,000 private sector nurseries of different sizes have grown spreading over the entire region and the number has been increasing onwards.

They said growth of nurseries has been making the participatory social afforestation programme successful in one hand, alleviating poverty and empowering women with self-reliance on the other in the region in recent years.

Officials said the highest ever number of saplings including fruits, medicinal plants and timber grown in the private sector nurseries were sold last year as the tree plantation drive has already took a shape of social movement in the region.

According to an average estimate, over 45,000 families have changed their lot by achieving self-reliance through nursery business during the past one decade and the sector has been boosting faster.

Officials said the tree plantation drive has turned into a successful social movement in the region following implementation of various steps by the government, NGOs, environmental and professional bodies.

They said about five crore fruit-bearing and medicinal plants and timber saplings are being planted annually in the region, resulting in faster growth of nurseries in the private sector with growing demands of saplings.

Over 20,000 families, who collected different varieties of fruit- bearing saplings, including hybrid varieties, from the nursery owners, also achieved economic self-reliance during the period.

Officials said an extensive programme and necessary steps are being taken to plant over five crore saplings of various kinds in the region this year.

The private sector bodies, different government departments have also been planting a huge number of saplings including Neem, coconut and cane every year.

The Forest Department, Department of Agriculture Extension, Local Government and Engineering Department, Water Development Board, district and administrations, Police, BDR, different non- government and voluntary organisations have been also planting huge saplings in the region.