The strata of a hill gently curve as they house carrots, ginger, potatoes, aubergines, chillies, beans, and other vegetables, all neatly arranged in white plastic sacks, ready to be sold fresh in the market. This “organic” cultivation method does not require repeated digging on the hills or the use of chemicals or pesticides. Organic fertilizer helps maintain a good yield with minimal upkeep.
Almost three years ago, Mostafa Shiblee started cultivating vegetables on the slopes of Fatemanagar village in Khagrachhari’s Panchhari Upazila. His innovative use of sacks instead of cutting into the hills earned him international recognition for his environmentally friendly farming practices. He reports that this method has yielded at least 3,000kg of vegetables monthly, including carrots, beetroots, potatoes, chillies, bitter gourds, beans, gourds, and aubergines.
Born in Dhaka and holding degrees in English literature from Dhaka University, Shiblee also engages in the tourism sector in Kuakata. Speaking to bdnews24.com on Mar 2 in Uttara, Shiblee emphasized that vegetables grown in sacks on the slopes were much “safer” than those planted directly on the hillsides.
He explained how the idea came to him: “We operate an agricultural farm in Fatemanagar, Khagrachhari, where we grow our own organic fertilizer, ‘Khagrachhari Jaibasar,’ which is approved by the Ministry of Agriculture. We use this fertilizer when tilling the land on the hills. We own almost 60 acres of land. Initially, we thought of planting trees for fruits or timber, but later shifted to growing vegetables for quicker returns, following the example of others around us.”
Shiblee continued: “The initial approach was futile. Like everyone else, we started by clearing the land, stripping it bare, and tilling the soil, which was both labor-intensive and expensive. Moreover, this method posed a serious environmental threat. The tilled soil would wash down the hill with the heavy rains, sometimes leading to landslides, endangering both the environment and the local water sources.”
Witnessing the negative impacts of such farming on the environment, Shiblee and his team began to think of a better alternative. They realized that ginger and other vegetables were already being grown in sacks in the plains, so they decided to apply the same technique on the hills to see if it could work.
Once they put the idea into practice, by the end of 2022, they were growing vegetables in 2,500 sacks on the slopes, which produced excellent results. They didn’t need to clear the weeds; simply placing the sacks was enough. Using their own organic fertilizer and applying minimal chemicals meant that the soil stayed intact, preventing erosion during the rains, and the water was not polluted.
Shiblee added, “What’s important is that we can reuse the sacks multiple times. After harvesting, we can use the same sacks for subsequent crops, making it cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and safe from landslides and water pollution. Crucially, the vegetables grown are much safer.”
Encouraged by the success, Shiblee expanded to 5,000 sacks the following season, and by the third season, the number reached 11,000 sacks. His farm, Shiblee Farms, has received accolades for its sustainable approach to hill farming.
Shiblee’s environmentally conscious methods earned him an award from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Nepal, which came with a cash prize of nearly Tk 1 million. ICIMOD, an inter-governmental organization focused on agriculture in the Himalayan region, selected Shiblee’s farm as one of the winners from more than 200 applicants from Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and India.
Shiblee explained how he learned about the award: “A friend in BRAC told me about it, and I applied. A few months later, I was shortlisted as a finalist, and later nominated for the award.”
Despite his success, Shiblee highlighted some challenges: “One major obstacle is water supply. Pumping water from tube wells or reservoirs using diesel is very costly and physically demanding. My biggest issue is irrigation. I plan to use the award money to implement a solar-powered smart irrigation system to ease the process and expand the farm.”
Shiblee is not interested in transporting his vegetables to Dhaka. “We’ve already found 300 to 500 people in Panchhari who prefer buying safer vegetables, even if they are a bit more expensive. Our produce is safer since we don’t use chemicals directly, but we do use some pesticides. It’s not completely chemical-free, but it’s certainly safer.”
Looking to the future, Shiblee shared his ambitions: “Receiving the award made me realize that the goal we set with great dedication is now within reach, but we can’t limit it to just this small farm. I want to inspire other farmers who still use harmful traditional methods to adopt this approach. It’s not new—people are familiar with it. But it’s important to show them the benefits of preventing landslides, reducing soil pollution, and keeping costs low. With some initial help, we can encourage them to scale up.”
He concluded, “Our goal is to protect this region from landslides and water pollution while producing safer vegetables. We want to spread this farming method with the help of the agriculture ministry.”
