Abstract
An explanatory study was conducted on the indigenous management practices of Hogla (Typha elephantina Roxb.) in Noakhali Sadar upazila locating in the south-eastern part of Bangladesh over a ten-month period from February to November 2005. A multistage random sampling method was applied for the study. The study mainly focuses on the cultivation of Hogla, its processing, marketing, using patterns and potentialities for socio-economic upliftment in rural areas. The farmers used three different sites for Hogla cultivation i.e., fallow land, low-lying land and agricultural land. Planting materials usually used for propagations are rhizomes (98%) and seeds (2%), which are mainly collected from the farmers' previous Hogla plantation, neighbors, and markets. Hogla is an annual crop and requires low investment and labor compared to other agricultural crops. In addition, Hogla fields can simultaneously also be used for the production of other agro crops. No specific rules were found for cutting Hogla. After harvesting Hogla leaves are sorted, dried and gathered, bundled and transported to local markets for sale. Standing Hogla fields were also found to be purchased by the traders. Farmers can earn on an average US$5/decimal of land by Hogla cultivation and thus it can play a significant role for socio-economic upliftment in rural floodplain areas of Bangladesh.