Roadside grass cultivation. Photo: BSS

 
By Md Mamun Islam
 
RANGPUR, April 22, 2025 (BSS) - In recent times, cultivation of high-yielding 
and quick-growing varieties of nutritious grass along the roadsides has 
become popular in the district to promote the animal husbandry sector and 
increase milk production.
 
The Department of Livestock is promoting roadside grass cultivation by 
providing assistance to farmers, poor and landless people under the Animal 
Nutrition and Technology Transfer Project.
 
District Livestock Officer Dr. Md. Abu Sayeed told BSS that the project 
focuses on improving animal health, nutrition and productivity through 
improved feeding practices and introduction of new technologies.
 
The project aims to help rural people increase meat, milk and egg production, 
ensure food security and accelerate their socio-economic development. 
 
"Around 6,000 farmers and people are cultivating high-yielding and nutritious 
grasses like Napier, Jumbo and Pakchong along 150 kilometers of roads in all 
eight upazilas of the district," he said.
 
Talking to BSS, farmers said that due to the high price of animal feed and 
increasing demand for green grass, they are turning to commercial grass 
cultivation along the roadsides as the main food for cattle to earn more 
profit at low cost.
 
With the increase in cattle farms across the district and rising demand for 
green grass, fast-growing nutritious grasses like Napier, Jumbo and Pakchong 
have now become green gold for roadside farmers.
 
Roadside grass farming has also generated additional income and employment by 
meeting the food needs of farmers' own pets and selling excess grass.
 
Dairy farmer Renu Bala of Panjarbhanga village in Shaheedbag union of Kawnia 
upazila said she and many farmers have cultivated Napier and Pakchong grasses 
on both sides of the roads to reduce economic pressure on cattle feed. 
 
"Feeding these green grasses to dairy cows produces more milk, and protects 
the calves from blindness and makes them healthy. So, the popularity of these 
grasses is increasing day by day," she said. 
 
Currently, many people are earning their own livelihoods by buying the 
cultivated green grass on the roadsides and selling the same in vans at 
markets and villages in Kawnia upazila, like other parts of the district. 
 
Renu Bala said, "There was a shortage of cow feed in the past. But, this 
shortage has been largely overcome by cultivating grass on the roadsides 
across the upazila." 
 
Farmer Prahlad Chandra of the same area said the price of granular feed is 
currently very high in local markets. 
 
"So, like many others, I have been cultivating Napier grass on the roadside. 
I am raising six cows and I am making a lot of profit because of the grass 
that my cows eat," he said.
 
Ershadul Haque, a farmer from Bhelupara area under Shaheedbag union of the 
same upazila, said he has cultivated grass on abandoned land and roadsides on 
the advice of Kawnia Upazila Department of Livestock Office. 
 
"After meeting fodder demand of my four cows, I also sell my additional 
produced Napier grass locally to meet the other needs of my cattle and 
family," he said. 
 
Kawnia Upazila Livestock Officer Dr. ARM Mamun said many farmers are 
cultivating these green grasses on the roadsides with great effort 
contributing to boosting the animal husbandry and dairy sectors in the 
upazila.
 
District Livestock Officer Dr. Md. Abu Sayeed said the Napier grass 
cultivated on both sides of the roads not only promotes the animal husbandry 
sector and benefits farmers, also enhances the natural beauty and prevents 
soil erosion.
 
"The roadside grass cultivation is reducing the dependence on costly granular 
fodders as cattle feed, and the cost of raising cows for farmers. Grass plays 
a leading role in milk production," he added.