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Head lines BRAC & Sustainable Agricultural Development In BangladeshS. C. Biswas, The Bangladesh Observer Bangladesh’s accomplishments in transforming its devastated agricultural sector into one of the most productive farm economies in all of South Asia is a major development success story. Once racked by famine and dependent on food imports, the country is now essentially self sufficient in rice, is emerging as a significant exporter of high-value agricultural products and enjoys the second highest percentage growth in per capita income in South Asia. Its success is largely a story of close cooperation between the government of Bangladesh and its peoples with foreign aid agencies, international agricultural research institutions, and indigenous non-governmental organizations. Established in 1972, BRAC the largest NGO of Bangladesh has been playing a vital role in the development of sustainable agriculture with the cooperation of its partner organizations. Economic Development in Bangladesh Bangladesh has a population of 131 million — about 1,007 persons per square kilometer. Having limited natural resources and overburdened with this huge population its economy is basically agrarian and hence, role of agriculture is predominant from grass root to national level. It is the single largest sector in the economy. The combined contribution of its all sub sectors in GDP (crops, fishery, livestock and fishery) is about 31.5. Sixty-three per cent of total employment is in agriculture and 57% is engaged in crop sector alone. Within the past few years, Bangladesh has reached self-sufficiency in its main cereal, rice. Rice production increased from 11.7 million metric tons in 1974 to 23.1 million tons in 2000, an average annual increase of 3.6 per cent. Wheat production climbed from 0.11 million metric tons in 1974 to 1.8 million metric tons in 2000. Cereal prices are low and stable, and production continues to incease. The economy also is showing rapid diversification particularly in the crop, livestock and poultry sectors. Exports of agricultural products accounted for near about 10.4% of total exports. Furthermore, the contribution of agriculture in agro-based industrial products is also significant. Agricultural exports, both bulk commodities and higher-valued processed products, grew by nearly 5 per cent over the last five years. In order of importance, contribution of agriculture is next to knitwear and readymade garment exports. And unlike the garment industry, where the bulk of the export earnings go back out of the country to pay for imported raw materials and machinery, with agribusiness the value added stays in the country. The role of its agriculture is unique for food security, poverty alleviation and sustainable economic growth. BRAC and Its Agriculture Sector As a part of rural development programme BARC initiated its agricultural activities through the distribution of vegetable seeds to the target groups. These initiatives include input support, training and technical assistance. Side by side BRAC was operating pilot projects utilizing a variety of crops such as maize, rice and wheat. In the year 1998, these interventions were brought under the umbrella of the agriculture programme. The objective of this comprehensive programme was to generate income and employment opportunities, increase agricultural production and consumption, introduce modern cultivation methods, and promote the effective use of land and labour in Bangladesh. To achieve these goals BRAC soon engaged in a wide range of activities including training, input supply, credit and technical services. The Agricultural Programme incorporates a variety of sub sectors that address the specific problems of input availability, technical assistance, distribution and marketing. BRAC’s agricultural sector is composed of the Agricultural Extension Programme, the Seed Production and Marketing Programme, Plant Tissue Culture Programme and the Potato Seed Production Programme, the Vegetable Export Programme & Soil Testing Programme. An Agricultural research and Development Centre has also been established to support the crop production programme and to develop high yielding and hybrid variety in Bangladesh. Seed Production Programme Much of the success in Bangladesh’s agricultural sector can be attributed to the development and implementation of dry season irrigated rice. Thirty years ago, almost all of Bangladesh’s cereal production was from the monsoon crop. Now almost half is dry season, made possible by the development and release by the public research institutions of high yielding rice varieties adapted to shorter days and cooller temperatures. Bangladeshi farmers took the challenge by planting and irrigating the new high-yielding varieties. The entire rural population has benefited: peasant farmers now get two or even three crops per year, and landless peasants find that their income-earning possibilities have expanded. It was through publicly supported agricultural research working in tandem with private investment for irrigation that made the jump in rice production.. The rapid increase of wheat cultivation in recent years is one of the most promising developments in Bangladesh. Wheat has quickly found acceptance as a staple food, not only in the cities where it is a large part of grain sold through the ration system, but also in rural areas. The potential for further growth of wheat cultivation is considerable. Maize, another cereal major crop is gaining popularity in recent years and the area under maize cultivation is increasing in every year beacuse of its domestic use as well as use in poultry and animal feed industry. Under the crop diversification programme oilseeds and legume crop cultivation is also drawing farmer’s attention with the development of new varieties as well as new improved technologies available to the farmers. Similarly, organizations like the International Rice
Research Institute (IRRI) and the International Maize and Wheat
Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) collaborated with the Bangladesh’s
agricultural research system to introduce more sustainable and efficient
rice, wheat and maize cropping systems into Bangladesh. Undoubtedly brAC
with its seed production and marketing programme played a significant role
in these sustainable agricultural processes with its key partners. On the
basis of annual survey of the requirements of village organization
members, brAC sets its target of seed multiplication programme. To operate
the seed production programme brAC collects breeder’s seeds from the
National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) such as Bangladesh Rice
Research Institute (BRRI), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI),
Bangladesh Jute Research Institute (BIRI), Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear
Agriculture (BINA) etc. Foundation seeds are multiplied at brAC seed
production farms with the technical assistance of the respective
institutes. The foundation seeds are then distributed to the contract seed
producers who in turn multiply seeds, which are finally processed, and
packaged in brAC’s modern seed processing centre. The seeds are then
distributed to Agricultural Extension Workers at every Area Office who
sell the seeds to brAC’s Village Organization members and small farmers in
the rural community. Agricultural Extension Programme To improve the nutrition and income status of the household by increasing agricultural productivity brAC agricultural extension workers extending their services to the target village members through transferring technology in an effective manner. brAC has its staff strength in agricultural sector of about 100 agriculturists and 375 diploma agriculturists with 8780 village agricultural extension workers covering all over the country. At the beginning of the year these extension workers conduct survey of the village organization members and farmers to determine what inputs they require and advise them on the type of crops that would be appropriate for their land. Through these extension workers the farmers can get access to soil testing, and other training and advice to upgrade their farming practices. More specialized concerns are addressed by brAC’s technical stuff which includes an agriculture Programme Organizer (PO) posted in each area office and one agronomist responsible for every for every 20-30 Area Offices. Research and Development Research is one key means by which the knowledge of agriculture is increased and improved. To meet the increasing demand for food graih sufficiency, and also for vegetables as well as spices there is the need to develop high yielding and hybrid variety in Bangladesh. Towards this end, brAC has involved in different research oriented activities, like variety and Cytoplasmic Male Sterile line development, improvement of local variety through selection process, yield ability trials of exotic hybrid varieties, hybrid seed production by using the parent lines in joint venture with the reputed foreign companies, multiply the HYV seeds from the breeder seeds of Bangladeh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) and Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA). To conduct its research and developmental activities, brAC has already established a central research farm at Gazipur with research farms and substations in different parts of the country. Tissue Culture In an effort to modernize the agriculture and to increase the quality of agricultural inputs in Bangladesh brAC has engaged in the production of tissue cultured materials viz, seedlings and tubers of various crop plants in its plant biotechnology laboratory. To fulfill the mandate of its Agricultural Programme, empowering the poor through increased agricultural productivity, brAC has invested in creating better inputs that can be distributed to the farmers of bangladesh. Through experimentation and field trial it has been shown that both banana and potato tissue culture are quite promising. Subsequently, brAC Plant Biotechnology Laboratory is producing disease free high quality 2000 tons of potato seed and 100000 plantlets of banana every year along with other tissue cultural products. Potato Seed Production Programme In Bangladesh, potato the main vegetable crop is generally produced by using imported propagules or by the farmer’s saved seeds. Therefore, the farmers are incurring a considerable loss every year by the attack of viral diseases in the potato field. However, the potato growers have not yet exploited the potentiality of virus free tissue cultured potato seeds. Tissue cultured potato seeds are relatively virus free, high yielding and conserves the varietal identity. Considering all these benefits of tissue culture derived. Potato seeds brAC started its potato seed production programme for enhancing potato production as well as upliftment of the poor potato growers. Vegetable Export Programme Along with the input supply, credit and technical support brAC is also offering marketing opportunities to the poor farmers that will allow them to maximize the return from their labour. brAC has capitalized on improvements in communications and transportation to bring the produce of small Bangladeshi farmers to the supermarkets of Europe and East Asia. The vegetable export programme seeks to connect farmers with these lucrative markets that demand quality produce and efficiency in production and delivery. The vegetable export programmes contract farmers are provided with training, inputs, such as seeds and fertilizers, and guaranteed a fixed price for their vegetables at the time of planting. This provides the farmers with security against fluctuation in prices of commodities in the export markets. brAC also purchases the vegetable at consistently higher prices than farmers could get from the local market or middleman. Soil Testing and Fertility Management Programme Soils, obviously, play an important role in increasing agricultural productivity-as they provide both a medium for root development and for solute flow and transformation. Soil analysis and its proper management practices will not only enhance its productivity but also protect this invaluable natural researce for further degradation as well. Due to intensive crop cultivation the soil depletes its nutrients and balance, thus hampers the cultivation of crops. Soil analysis can determine the plant nutritional status of the soil such as the soil organic matter, PH, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, zinc, etc. and one can easily determine the exact amount of fertilizer for a particular plot to achieve the target yield of a specific crop. Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI) the central institute through its services helping the farmers by analyzing soil samples and recommending proper dose of fertilizer. Besides, the soil laboratories of bARI and BINA extending their services to the farmers for the sustainable use of land resources. However, these institutes could not cover the vast majority of the cultivated area. Therefore, brAC has set up a soil analysis laboratory to provide its assistance to the poor farmers through soil analysis and fertilizer management programme. A brAC mobile soil analysis laboratory has also been engaged to provide technical support to the farmers in land use and maintain its fertility. Since its inception the soil analysis laboratory analyzed 5906 soil samples and a total of 3264 samples have been analyzed during the last year. On the other hand, the mobile laboratory analyzed 1625 samples in 2002-2003 (up to 30th June). Challenges Ahead While there have been impressive success in Bangladeshi agriculture important challenges remain. In the next decades, agriculture in Bangladesh will have to cope with an ever-increasing demand for food and raw basic materials on the one hand, and with the necessity to use resources without further degrading or exhausting the environment on the other hand, and all this within a dynamic framework of social and economic conditions. A further transformation of Bangladeshi Agriculture,
mostly in terms of diversifying into higher value products such as maize,
legumes and vegetables, both for domestic and export markets, is the next
logical step for the country. Demand for rice during the next 25 years is
expected to increase by 51 per cent in Bangladesh-rice uses four or more
times more water than crops like wheat, and maize, and the lack of
adequate water will be a major impediment to future agricultural
productivity. The close cooperation between the government of Bangladesh,
the research institutions, the NGOs and international development agencies
suggest that Bangladesh can move beyond self-sufficiency and that
agriculture and agribusiness are going to remain the bedrock of
Bangladesh’s economy for years to come. |
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