DHUBRI, Nov 15 - Farming of Napier grass in eight bighas of land has helped to change the domestic economy of a Dhubri-based resident named Monir Uddin Sk as the yields have not only benefitted his cattle, but also that of other neighbours.
Napier grass is a popular fodder crop for smallscale dairy farmers as it grows very fast and has good nutritional value. This grass grows upto 4 metres tall and is favoured by all kinds of farm animals and may be grown in all kinds of environment.
Monir Uddin Sk said he has cultivated the grass in eight bighas of land, which he not only sells to other daily farmers, but also sells its seedlings to other farmers.
�A few years back, I grew this grass which I brought from Guwahati in an elevated area of my land to feed my cattle, which ultimately resulted in good milk production. Later, I extended the grass farm to more areas by filling earth and now it is spread out in eight bighas of land�.
�Now people from all over the district as well as from other parts of the state come to me for purchasing seedlings of the grass variety�, added Monir Uddin. He claims that these seedlings have high nutritional value and they grow in large quantities even in a limited space without any fertilizer, which benefits the milch cattle.
The farmer claims that the production of grass has opened up a new avenue of earning for him. He has now opened his own fishery and also bought farmland with direct and indirect revenue earned from grass farming.