Use of herbal pesticide developed by a local farmer is gaining popularity among the farmers of Katabari union in Gobindaganj upazila under the district for producing poison-free crops and vegetables.

The introducer of the herbal pesticide, Abdul Latif, 40, of Bogda village under Katabari union of Gobindaganj upazila, said he started working in the agriculture field after passing the SSC examinations.

"With an aim to check pests, worms and diseases in crop fields for low price, I started work in 2008. After long experiments with different plants and roots, I made the herbal pesticide in 2010," he said.

"I used it in my vegetable field successfully and later distributed it among the local farmers free of cost.

"A farmer needs to spend Tk 700 to 800 per bigha for chemical pesticides, whereas use of my herbal pesticide costs only Tk 100 for the same area of land. More importantly, such pesticide is not harmful for humans and animals," said Latif.

He has raised a garden of herbal plants in his land.

Hazrat Ali, a vegetable grower of Bogda village, said they got miraculous results by using the herbal pesticide invented by Latif.

Locals said over 300 farmers of the union used herbal pesticide in their crop fields last year and got positive result.

Farmers from other unions are also coming to collect the herbal pesticide.

Hearing the success story of Latif's herbal pesticide, Shahera Banu, upazila agriculture officer of Gobindaganj, visited Latif's herbal garden and the crop fields where the pesticide is used.

"The farmers looked happy to use the low cost herbal pesticide that seems harmless for human and animals, unlike chemical pesticides. Still proper laboratory testing is needed to ascertain its suitability and feasibility for extensive use in the crop fields," she said.