An integrated homestead farming model has been introduced in six northern districts of the country, says a press release.

Rangpur Dinaipur Rural Service, Bangladesh has developed the model and included it in the two-year pilot project backed by the Agriculture Support Service Project (ASSP).

The pilot project will be implemented in 29 thanas with 145 farmers (5 farmers per thana) in Panchagarh, Thakur-B>n, Dinajpur. Nilphamari, monirhat and Kurigram districts.

In accordance with the new National Agriculture Extension Policy (NAEP), seven workshops were organised in different places with grassroots farmers and agriculturists from the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) and RDRS, recently.

In the workshop, some common problems were identified. related to technical training, vaccines, quality seeds, and supply of fertiliser.

Problems were prioritised and translated into development programme both short and long-term.

Participants at the workshop identified and assessed | available resources, needs and priorities of the landless and ' marginal farmers through a participatory approach and came to a consensus that the Integrated Homestead Farming will be suitable for sustainable development of the grassroots farmers.