* Director-General, Department of Agriculture Extension, Ministry of Agriculture, Khamarbari, Farmgate, Dhaka, Bangladesh.1. INTRODUCTION
Agriculture is the single most important sector of the economy in Bangladesh. It is the major source of livelihood in the rural areas, where some 80 percent of the population live. Approximately two-thirds of the labour force is employed in agriculture. Although its share in the GDP is predictably declining, agriculture (crops, livestock, fisheries and forestry) contributes approximately one-third of the GDP and agricultural production accounts for 32 percent of the value of exports. The performance of this sector affects the overall economic growth. With irrigation covering only around 42 percent of the potentially irrigated area, agriculture is still weather dependent and has grown slower than was earlier expected, particularly because of the predominantly small farmer holdings in Bangladesh.
However, Bangladesh is endowed with a favourable climate and soil conditions for the production of a variety of crops all the year round. The rich genetic estate, the richness in ecosystem diversity, and the vast untapped human resources who can learn and adopt new skills have been the major points of comparative advantage in Bangladesh. Thus, there are ample opportunities for crop diversification balancing the production of major crops with that of minor crops. The crop diversification programme (CDP) was launched in the country during the early 1990's. A systematic arrangement of growing a variety of crops in rotation with rice was undertaken, based on farmers' own choice and performances with respect to soil and climatic conditions, thereby ensuring a variety of diverse dietary standards and nutritional status of the rural households. Due attention was given to the protection of nutrient balances in the soil and of all major basic resource endowments in crop production. Improved crop sequences involving rotation of soil exhausting crops followed by recuperative ones, shallow rooted crops followed by deep-rooted ones, legumes in rotation with non-legumes, etc., are envisaged to enrich and maintain soil fertility and crop productivity. In this way it becomes possible to ensure some degree of constancy in crop production, by destabilizing many of the limiting biotic and abiotic stresses.
The key objectives of agricultural development, involving sustainable intensification of rice production and location-specific attempts on crop diversification in the small farmer holdings of Bangladesh, have been aimed at achieving self-sufficiency in food grains production in a sustainable manner by improving the productivity on a short and medium term basis. Another objective is to attain self-reliance in the long-term. To enhance farmers' income through the production of high-value crops and to help maintain a better soil structure for long-term sustainability, a recent policy statement on crop agriculture has called for a departure from “rice-led” growth to a more diversified production base that includes several non-rice crops. The production of rice as of now has exceeded 22.5 million tonnes and that of wheat 2 million tonnes. Maize production increased by 138 percent during the period 1995/96 to 1997/98. The government is also implementing programmes to promote crop diversification involving high-value crops, fruits and vegetables, potatoes, oilseeds, pulses and spices through appropriate packages of seed-fertilizer-irrigation technologies, This is expected to increase employment, rural income and improve nutritional standards.
2. CROP PRODUCTION AND ECONOMIC SCENARIO
2.1 Review of Past Performance of the Crops Sector
Bangladesh made steady progress in crop agriculture in the post-Independence period. The cropping intensity increased from 148 to 179 percent and foodgrain production almost doubled during the period from 1969/70 to 1992/93. Contributing about 75 percent of the value-added, crops form the largest sub-sector of agriculture. Rice is the dominant crop and largely determines the rate of progress in the agriculture sector and to a significant extent, that of the non-agricultural sectors. It covers about 75 percent of the cropped area and accounts for about 70 percent of the value of crop output. In fact, the entire growth in crop production is due to the growth in foodgrain production, particularly rice. Yield of other non-cereal crops such as pulses, oilseeds and vegetables almost stagnated, while that of wheat increased only marginally.
In 1993/94 and 1994/95, foodgrain production declined as a result of depressed prices and natural disasters, particularly floods and droughts in the northwest, which is the country's surplus gain production region. The average foodgrain production during these two years dropped to 18.71 million metric tonnes (Mt) from the average of 19.31 million Mt during the preceding three years from 1990/91 to 1992/93. While drought conditions prevailed during these years, the decline in the rice production in 1993/94 was also due to both damage by floods and the farmers' response to the fall in the price of rice in the preceding year as evidenced by more that 4 percent decline in fertilizer consumption, more than 2 percent reduction in area sown and similar decline in irrigation command area. In 1994/95 total foodgrain production was only 18.17 million Mt as against the expected production of 20 million Mt. This trend started improving from 1995/96 with a foodgrain production of 19.14 million Mt. The year 1996/97 witnessed an all time high foodgrain production of about 20.43 million Mt and it is touching almost 25 million tonnes during the current year 1999/2000. Food production, though continuing to depend on the vagaries of nature, increased substantially over the years, following the introduction of high yielding varieties (HYV) and application of modern inputs like fertilizers and pesticides. However, its dependence on weather continues to result in fluctuations in production. Wide fluctuations in production leads to large instability in foodgrain prices having serious implications for household food security and also for the welfare of the people.
Production of jute fibre reached as high as 8.66 million bales in 1985/86. The production level declined to 4.92 million bales in 1992/93 and has hovered around this level since then. Sugar cane production has remained more or less 7.50 million Mt since 1987/88. Production of potatoes has shown a steady increase. It increased from 0.89 million Mt in 1975/76 to 1.47 million Mt in 1994/95. Other crops like pulses and oilseeds have shown only marginal improvement nationwide. However, implementation of the crop diversification programme (CDP) during 1990/95 in 125 Thanas gave promising results in terms of yield per hectare of maize, pulses, oilseeds, potatoes, vegetables, etc.
As regards performance of modern inputs, the irrigated area increased to about 4 million hectares in 1996/97 from the level of 2.65 million hectares in 1990/91. Ground water irrigation covered 68.5 percent of the total irrigated area while the surface water irrigation was only 31.5 percent in 1996/97. Ground water irrigation witnessed significant expansion during the last two decades. Use of chemical fertilizers increased from 2 million Mt in 1990/91 to 3.02 million Mt in 1995/96. Public sector seed distribution (mainly rice and wheat) occupies only about 5 percent of the total requirements. The large part of the seed requirement is met by the private sector.
The reforms of the agriculture sector have been quite pronounced and visible. For over a decade a wide range of policy reforms have been implemented in the agricultural sector. A few of these are privatization of input distribution, withdrawal of input and food subsidy, import liberalization and a broadening of the scope of private investment in agriculture. In recent years, the coverage of policy reforms in the agriculture sector has substantially expanded to include minor irrigation equipment, agricultural machinery, seeds and agricultural trade.
2.2 Crop Production during the Fifth Five Year Plan
The projection of crop production during the Plan has been worked out keeping in view the production possibilities, agronomic consideration, availability of production inputs and farmers' accessibility to resources and willingness to increase production within the prevailing agro-economic condition. Emphasis will be put on increasing yield per hectare rather than increasing cropped area and shifting from local varieties to the HYVs. The purpose of foodgrain production, in addition to attaining self-sufficiency, will be to provide nutritious food for the entire population.
Bangladesh is endowed with favourable climate and soils for the production of a variety of crops throughout the year. The winter crops are greater in number than the summer monsoon crops. The production of major and minor crops became unbalanced in recent years due to greater emphasis given on cereals, especially rice and wheat. The situation needs to be improved for balanced diet of the people.
The production of minor crops such as pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, fruits, spices, etc., is currently inadequate to provide for the required nutrition in the daily diet of the people. Such a situation will not be allowed to continue. Accelerated production of minor crops, complementary but not competitive with major food crops production as per the requirement for reducing pressure on cereals, will be pursued during the Fifth Plan period. This will improve the daily diet of the people, generate rural employment by intensive cropping with improved technologies, increase farm income and thereby increase the purchasing power of the rural masses. It will also improve the balance of payments by promoting import substitution and export oriented crops.
Fruits and vegetables are important sources of minerals and vitamins and provide a part of the calorie requirement in the daily diet of the people. They also provide most of the food roughage, which contributes to the prevention of disorders of the digestive system. Besides, vegetable protein appears to be superior to animal protein. The nutritional status of the Bangladeshi diet is on a declining trend due to low intake of vegetables, fruits and spices. The increased production and intake of vegetables by the people will help compensate for debilitating nutritional deficiencies.
The foodgrain production in the terminal year of the Fifth Plan has been projected to be 25.12 million Mt. Out of this, rice production is expected to be 23.40 million Mt as against the production of 18.88 million Mt in 1996/97. The estimates for wheat and other coarse grain production have been made at 1.60 million Mt and 0.12 million Mt, respectively, in the terminal year of the Plan. The actual and projected production of important crops are shown in Tables 1 and 2 and the details of trade in Tables 3 and 4.
Table 1. Production Projection of Important Crops during the Fifth Plan (Area in million hectares and production in million metric tonnes unless otherwise noted)
Crops
|
1996-97 (Benchmark)
|
2001-2002 (Projection)
| ||
Area
|
Production
|
Area
|
Production
| |
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
| Rice |
10.40
|
18.88
|
10.11
|
23.40
|
| Wheat |
0.71
|
1.45
|
0.70
|
1.60
|
| Sub-Total |
11.11
|
20.33
|
10.81
|
25.00
|
| Other coarse grain |
0.10
|
0.10
|
0.12
|
0.12
|
| Total Foodgrain |
11.21
|
20.43
|
10.93
|
25.12
|
| Potato |
0.15
|
1.85
|
0.16
|
2.43
|
| Sweet Potato |
0.05
|
0.50
|
0.05
|
0.66
|
| Oilseeds |
0.50
|
0.37
|
0.70
|
0.76
|
| Pulses |
0.65
|
0.53
|
0.78
|
0.85
|
| Spices |
0.15
|
0.33
|
0.22
|
0.50
|
| Vegetables |
0.25
|
1.45
|
0.30
|
1.82
|
| Fruits |
0.19
|
2.14
|
0.26
|
3.54
|
| Jute (million bales) |
0.51
|
4.87
|
0.57
|
7.24
|
| Cotton (million bales) |
0.04
|
0.10
|
0.11
|
0.26
|
| Sugar cane |
0.18
|
8.10
|
0.18
|
12.37
|
| Tea (million kg) |
0.05
|
54.00
|
0.05
|
60.00
|
| Tobacco |
0.03
|
0.04
|
0.03
|
0.04
|
Table 2. Area, Yield and Production of Crops Commercially Grown in Bangladesh (Area: In Lac Hectare; Production: In Lac Metric Tonnes)
Sl
|
Name of Crops
|
1994-95
|
1995-96
|
1996-97
|
1997-98
|
1998-99
|
Average for last 5 years
| |||||||
Area
|
Production
|
Area
|
Production
|
Area
|
Production
|
Area
|
Production
|
Area
|
Production
|
Area
|
Production
|
Yield/hectare in tonnes
| ||
1
| Aus: | |||||||||||||
| HYV |
4.14
|
7.02
|
4.19
|
7.02
|
4.76
|
8.43
|
4.90
|
8.72
|
4.41
|
7.28
|
4.48
|
7.69
|
1.72
| |
| Local |
12.50
|
10.89
|
11.23
|
9.74
|
11.16
|
10.28
|
10.75
|
10.03
|
9.83
|
8.89
|
11.09
|
9.97
|
0.90
| |
| Total Aus |
16.64
|
17.91
|
15.42
|
16.76
|
15.92
|
18.71
|
15.65
|
18.75
|
14.24
|
16.17
|
15.57
|
17.66
|
1.13
| |
2
| Aman: | |||||||||||||
| B. Aman |
9.55
|
9.04
|
8.37
|
7.89
|
8.40
|
8.66
|
8.14
|
7.80
|
6.01
|
5.38
|
8.09
|
7.75
|
0.96
| |
| T. Aman: | ||||||||||||||
| HYV |
21.47
|
44.83
|
22.68
|
46.81
|
24.72
|
53.60
|
25.47
|
52.06
|
24.63
|
47.41
|
23.79
|
48.94
|
2.06
| |
| Local |
24.92
|
31.17
|
25.42
|
33.20
|
24.91
|
33.26
|
24.48
|
28.64
|
21.01
|
24.57
|
24.15
|
30.17
|
1.25
| |
| Total T. Aman |
46.39
|
76.00
|
48.10
|
80.01
|
49.63
|
86.86
|
49.95
|
80.70
|
45.64
|
71.89
|
47.94
|
79.11
|
1.65
| |
| Total Aman |
55.94
|
85.04
|
56.47
|
87.90
|
58.03
|
95.52
|
58.09
|
88.50
|
51.65
|
77.36
|
56.04
|
86.86
|
1.55
| |
3
| Boro: | |||||||||||||
| HYV |
24.10
|
62.01
|
25.07
|
68.52
|
25.47
|
71.05
|
26.71
|
77.96
|
32.82
|
101.53
|
26.83
|
76.21
|
2.84
| |
| Local |
2.54
|
3.37
|
2.47
|
3.69
|
2.36
|
3.55
|
2.18
|
3.41
|
2.46
|
3.99
|
2.40
|
3.60
|
1.50
| |
| Total Boro |
26.64
|
65.38
|
27.54
|
72.21
|
27.83
|
74.60
|
28.89
|
81.37
|
35.28
|
105.52
|
29.24
|
79.82
|
2.73
| |
| Total HYV Rice |
49.71
|
113.86
|
51.94
|
122.35
|
54.95
|
133.08
|
57.08
|
138.74
|
61.86
|
156.22
|
55.11
|
132.85
|
2.41
| |
| Total Local Rice |
49.51
|
54.47
|
47.49
|
54.52
|
46.83
|
55.75
|
45.55
|
49.88
|
39.31
|
42.83
|
45.74
|
51.49
|
1.13
| |
| Total Rice |
99.22
|
168.33
|
99.43
|
176.87
|
101.78
|
188.83
|
102.63
|
188.62
|
101.17
|
199.05
|
100.85
|
184.34
|
1.83
| |
4
| Wheat |
6.39
|
12.45
|
7.01
|
13.69
|
7.08
|
14.54
|
8.05
|
18.03
|
8.82
|
19.08
|
7.47
|
15.56
|
2.08
|
| Total Rice & Wheat |
105.61
|
180.78
|
106.44
|
190.56
|
108.86
|
203.37
|
110.68
|
206.65
|
109.99
|
218.13
|
108.32
|
199.90
|
1.85
| |
5
| Maize |
0.09
|
0.25
|
0.10
|
0.27
|
0.13
|
0.46
|
0.19
|
0.80
|
0.24
|
0.85
|
0.15
|
0.53
|
3.51
|
| Total Food Crops |
105.70
|
181.03
|
106.54
|
190.83
|
108.99
|
203.83
|
110.87
|
207.45
|
110.23
|
218.98
|
108.47
|
200.42
|
1.85
| |
6
| Pulses |
7.10
|
5.34
|
6.98
|
5.25
|
6.89
|
5.25
|
6.84
|
5.19
|
6.25
|
5.10
|
6.81
|
5.23
|
0.77
|
7
| Oilseeds |
4.53
|
3.35
|
5.55
|
4.71
|
5.53
|
4.78
|
5.61
|
4.83
|
5.80
|
5.20
|
5.40
|
4.57
|
0.85
|
8
| Potato |
1.32
|
14.68
|
1.32
|
14.92
|
1.34
|
15.08
|
1.36
|
15.53
|
1.42
|
18.50
|
1.35
|
15.74
|
11.64
|
9
| S. Potato |
0.46
|
4.34
|
0.45
|
4.35
|
0.43
|
4.06
|
0.42
|
3.98
|
0.40
|
3.81
|
0.43
|
4.11
|
9.51
|
10
| Vegetable |
2.32
|
12.03
|
1.91
|
12.44
|
1.96
|
13.13
|
2.00
|
13.29
|
2.15
|
14.75
|
2.07
|
13.13
|
6.35
|
11
| Sugar cane |
1.80
|
74.46
|
1.74
|
71.65
|
1.76
|
75.21
|
1.75
|
73.79
|
1.67
|
60.00
|
1.74
|
71.02
|
40.72
|
12
| Jute |
5.60
|
53.11
|
4.58
|
40.74
|
5.07
|
48.66
|
5.77
|
58.24
|
5.25
|
47.20
|
5.25
|
49.59
|
9.44
|
Table 3. Bangladesh Foodgrain Trade, 1980/81 - 1998/99 (000 Mt)
Year
|
Food Aid
|
Commercial
|
Public Import
|
Private Import
|
Total Import
| ||||||||||
Rice
|
Wheat
|
Total
|
Rice
|
Wheat
|
Total
|
Rice
|
Wheat
|
Total
|
Rice
|
Wheat
|
Total
|
Rice
|
Wheat
|
Total
| |
1980/81
|
19
|
732
|
751
|
65
|
260
|
325
|
84
|
992
|
1076
|
84
|
992
|
1076
| |||
1981/82
|
30
|
1111
|
1141
|
114
|
0
|
114
|
144
|
1111
|
1255
|
144
|
1111
|
1255
| |||
1982/83
|
131
|
845
|
976
|
186
|
682
|
868
|
317
|
1527
|
1844
|
317
|
1527
|
1844
| |||
1983/84
|
117
|
1324
|
1441
|
62
|
553
|
615
|
179
|
1877
|
2056
|
179
|
1877
|
2056
| |||
1984/85
|
125
|
1181
|
1306
|
570
|
717
|
1287
|
695
|
1898
|
2593
|
695
|
1898
|
2593
| |||
1985/86
|
27
|
1060
|
1087
|
10
|
103
|
113
|
37
|
1163
|
1200
|
37
|
1163
|
1200
| |||
1986/87
|
108
|
1317
|
1425
|
150
|
192
|
342
|
258
|
1509
|
1767
|
258
|
1509
|
1767
| |||
1987/88
|
192
|
1595
|
1787
|
398
|
732
|
1130
|
590
|
2327
|
2917
|
590
|
2327
|
2917
| |||
1988/89
|
40
|
1316
|
1356
|
21
|
759
|
780
|
61
|
2075
|
2136
|
61
|
2075
|
2136
| |||
1989/90
|
41
|
908
|
949
|
258
|
326
|
584
|
299
|
1234
|
1533
|
299
|
1234
|
1533
| |||
1990/91
|
10
|
1530
|
1540
|
0
|
37
|
37
|
10
|
1567
|
1577
|
10
|
1567
|
1577
| |||
1991/92
|
39
|
1375
|
1414
|
0
|
150
|
150
|
39
|
1525
|
1564
|
39
|
1525
|
1564
| |||
1992/93
|
19
|
716
|
735
|
0
|
93
|
93
|
19
|
809
|
828
|
0
|
355
|
355
|
19
|
1164
|
1183
|
1993/94
|
0
|
654
|
654
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
654
|
654
|
74
|
238
|
312
|
74
|
892
|
966
|
1994/95
|
0
|
935
|
935
|
230
|
390
|
620
|
230
|
1325
|
1555
|
583
|
430
|
1013
|
813
|
1755
|
2568
|
1995/96
|
1
|
737
|
738
|
487
|
352
|
839
|
488
|
1089
|
1577
|
650
|
200
|
850
|
1138
|
1289
|
2427
|
1996/97
|
10
|
608
|
618
|
9
|
103
|
112
|
19
|
711
|
730
|
15
|
222
|
237
|
34
|
933
|
967
|
1997/98
|
0
|
549
|
549
|
0
|
650
|
650
|
0
|
1199
|
1199
|
993
|
142
|
1135
|
992.6
|
1341
|
2334
|
1998/99
|
59
|
1174
|
1233
|
334
|
429
|
763
|
393
|
1603
|
1996
|
2663
|
805
|
3468
|
3056
|
2408
|
5464
|
Average (1980/81 - 89/90)
|
83
|
1139
|
1222
|
183
|
432
|
616
|
266
|
1571
|
1838
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
266
|
1571
|
1838
|
Average (1990/91 - 98/99)
|
15
|
920
|
935
|
118
|
245
|
363
|
133
|
1165
|
1298
|
711
|
342
|
1053
|
686
|
1430
|
2117
|
Source: Directorate of Food and NBR.Table 4. Trade of Crops/products (Import, Export)
Name of Crops
|
Import (in Million dollars)
|
Export (in Million dollars)
| ||||||
1996-97
|
1997-98
|
1997-98 (Jul-Dec)
|
1998-99
|
1996-97
|
1997-98
|
1997-98 (Jul-Dec)
|
1998-99
| |
| Rice |
28.0
|
247.0
|
6.0
|
309.0
| ||||
| Wheat |
156.0
|
122.0
|
69.0
|
146.0
| ||||
| Oilseed |
62.0
|
93.0
|
48.0
|
50.0
| ||||
| Edible oil |
296.0
|
216.0
|
122.0
|
138.0
| ||||
| Tea |
38.14
|
47.47
|
40.84
|
36.36
| ||||
| Vegetables |
24.91
|
32.47
|
19.72
|
15.00
| ||||
| Raw Jute |
116.31
|
107.77
|
85.59
|
47.77
| ||||
| Frozen Food |
320.73
|
293.84
|
227.44
|
202.07
| ||||
| Others |
26.33
|
20.38
|
16.87
|
15.96
| ||||
| Leather |
195.48
|
190.26
|
138.43
|
124.03
| ||||
| Jute goods |
317.86
|
281.42
|
207.72
|
211.66
| ||||
Source: Bangladesh Economic Survey, 1999, MOF, Govt. of Bangladesh.2.3 Maize and Other Coarse Grains
Maize is now considered as a substitute for both rice and wheat since it can be grown in all seasons. From maize one may get food, oil, fuel, fodder and feed. The present yield potential is too low. It can be increased to the level of HYV wheat provided hybrid varieties are used, adequate demand is created, and fair prices to the growers can be ensured. The genetic yield potential of maize is very high. Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) has already developed five high yielding medium duration maize varieties with grain yield potential of 5-7 Mt/hectare, suitable for flood prone areas. The maize production is planned to increase by 250 percent to 12,500 Mt in 2001/2002 from the benchmark production of about 5,000 Mt. Besides maize, other coarse grains consisting of barley, sorghum, bajra, and millets have considerable importance from the point of use of water resources and development of agro-industries. Considering the increased importance of these minor crops as supplementary food, cattle feed, and industrial raw materials, an increased production programme for these crops will be taken up during the Fifth Plan period, using hybrids.
2.4 Horticultural Crops, Pulses and Oilseeds
The environment in Bangladesh is quite rich for the production of a large variety of fruits and vegetables. Some fruits such as mango, banana, pineapple, jackfruit, etc., have world demand. The main problem of fruit production is its seasonal nature. Year-round production varieties have yet to be evolved. Special efforts will be made during the Fifth Plan to produce at least major fruits and vegetables on a year-round basis and commercialize their production through appropriate research and development programmes. At the same time, emphasis will be given on the qualitative and quantitative improvement of various fruits and vegetables production, including production of mushrooms, flowers, orchids and shrubs, etc. Production of fruits and vegetables has been projected to be 3.54 million Mt and 1.82 million Mt, respectively, by the end of the Plan period.
Potato: Potato is suitable as a security crop in times of rice shortages due to its high carbohydrate content contributing to improved food security. It is also used as a vegetable by various income groups of the country. Since it is a short duration crop, its increased use can reduce the pressure on rice and wheat. Considering the production potential of the crop, potato production is projected to grow to 2.43 million Mt in 2001/2002. The increased production is expected to come from expansion in cropped area and increase in yield per hectare. To this end, true potato seed technology will be encouraged and adopted.
Sweet potato: Sweet potato is considered as a subsistence as well as a poor people's food. Hence, its production will be encouraged on marginal lands, homestead areas, roadsides and elsewhere as a low input crop to ensure its continued availability to, and affordability by low income consumers. Sweet potato production is projected to be 0.66 million Mt in the terminal year of the Fifth Plan.
Pulses: The pulses of Bangladesh comprise of six major crops, namely, lentil, khesari, blackgram, mungbean, chickpea and pigeon pea. Cowpea occupies an important place in the Chittagong area. The cropped area and production of these pulses have been on the decline over the past few years mainly because of the increased emphasis on HYV rice and wheat. But pulses are very important because of their protein supply to the human diet and nitrogen fixation for soil nutrition. Since improved technology can increase per hectare yield of pulses substantially, pulse production is projected to grow to 0.85 million Mt in the terminal year of the Plan as against the benchmark production of 0.53 million Mt.
Oilseeds: Vegetable oil from oilseeds is the main sources of fats in the average Bangladeshi diet. Its present level of consumption is only 25 percent of the FAO/WHO recommended level. Efforts will be made to increase oilseeds production to 0.76 million Mt by the terminal year of the Fifth Plan. Groundnut, sunflower and soybean have been included in this projected production. New seed varieties are being used in the defined area to avoid cross-pollination. Production of foundation and certified seeds of improved varieties and demonstrations of modern technology are important strategies to increase oilseeds production of the country.
2.5 Cash Crop Production during the Fifth Five Year Plan
Jute: Jute is the major fibre crop of the country. Despite the relative decline in importance of jute in agriculture, potential still exists for the fibre to increase its contribution to the economy through productivity increases and diversification. The share of raw jute and jute goods in the total exports of the country has been declining but still remains significant. In this situation, special measures will be taken during the Plan period to encourage farmers to further intensify jute production in order to satisfy domestic and export demand. To enable jute to compete with synthetics, emphasis will be given to related agricultural and technological research efforts. The raw jute production is projected to go up to 7.24 million bales in 2001/2002 as against 4.87 million bales in 1996/97 through per hectare yield increase, availability of better quality seeds, and improved provision of extension and credit support to growers.
Tea: Tea is one of the most dynamic agro-based, labour intensive, export oriented industries of Bangladesh. It plays a vital role in the national economy in both export earnings as well as in employment generation. Plantation and production of processed tea are the two main activities in the private sector. In the public sector, green leaf production was promoted through development projects implemented by the Bangladesh Tea Board. With the introduction of high yielding varieties, quality planting materials, timely application of production inputs and installation of modern machinery, tea has undergone further improvement and enabled Bangladesh to compete more effectively with other exporting countries. Increased production is expected to come from higher yields and by reducing tea vacancies now existing in the gardens.
Tobacco: Tobacco is one of the important cash crops of the country. The crop grows well in sandy, well aerated, well drained soils and cool climate. Hence, it is grown as a Rabi crop and most of the area is concentrated in the greater districts of Kushtia and Rangpur. Due efforts to expand tobacco cultivation since 1973/74 through support from big cigarette manufacturing firms self-sufficiency in tobacco production was achieved by 1980/81. However, recognizing tobacco's adverse effects on health, policies will be adopted to limit its production by the gradual reduction of cropped area in favour of cotton and pulses. The production of tobacco has been projected to be 0.04 million Mt by the terminal year of the Fifth Plan.
Cotton: Cotton played a very important role in improving the socio-economic conditions of the farmers during the previous Plan period. The production has gone up from 45,800 bales in 1983/84 to about 1,00,000 bales in 1996/97. The yield of seed cotton per hectare has reached a reasonably high level; yet the yield of cotton in the country is low compared to world standards. The major constraints to increased production are inadequate ginning capacity and seed multiplication programme, insufficient expertise and material resources, inefficient system of management, and ineffective extension and marketing organization. Textile mills should encourage commercial plantation through cooperatives in suitable cotton belts. During the Plan period, efforts will be made to provide loans to farmers to ensure supply of improved seeds, fertilizers, plant protection measures, irrigation and credit facilities to the growers along with the practicing of improved technologies in the cotton fields. Cotton production has been projected to be 0.26 million bales by the terminal year of the Fifth Plan as against 0.10 million bales in 1996/97.
Sugar cane: Sugar is the country's most important agro-industry and sugar cane is one of the important cash crops. Sugar cane is grown as a 12-15 month crop in a two year rotation with Aus rice crop during the monsoon season followed in the dry months by oilseeds, wheat or vegetables. Sugar cane yields in the country are low by world standards and the quality is poor. The average yield of sugar cane is about 6.1 Mt per hectare with a sugar recovery rate of 8.10 percent. Sugar cane is grown on about 0.18 million hectares of land. Of this, about 0.095 million hectares are in the sugar mill zone areas and the rest in the non-mill zone areas which produce sugar cane mostly for making gur consumed by the rural people. Research efforts will be strengthened to raise yield per hectare through varietal improvement, better management of water resources, fertilizers and other inputs, improved cropping systems and development of a sugar cane delivery system from farms to mills. Considering the past consumption trend, milling capacity and possible growth rate of production, sugar cane production is projected to be 12.37 million Mt in the terminal year of the Fifth Plan as against the benchmark production of 8.10 million Mt.
2.6 Special Agricultural Zones
Apart from plain land agriculture, there are special agro-ecological zones, which have quite high growth potentials. Specific development policy, strategy and programmes for these zones are needed to exploit the existing potentials of the following areas: (a) the upland in the hilly areas of Chittagong, Chittagong Hill Tracts and Sylhet, (b) the wetland in greater Mymensingh, Sylhet, Jessore, Pabna, Rajshahi, etc., and (c) the coastal areas of the southern part of Bangladesh. Each requires a distinct set of policies, strategies and programmes because of differences in agro-ecological environment. Research, extension and input delivery will be so designed as to meet the specific requirements of these special agro-ecological zones.
Rainfed Farming: Crop production in Bangladesh is predominantly monsoon dependent. Of the total rainfed areas, about 3 million ha is estimated to be prone to severe drought. The entire Barind and Modhupur Tracts, constituting about 12 percent of the total arable area are characterized by soils of shallow depth having low moisture holding capacity and heavy sub-surface clay. Crop production in these areas and in the Gangetic flood plains is mainly dependent on rainfall and on the inundation from the Ganges river and its tributaries. However, for the whole of the Ganges belt, including the Barind and Modhupur Tracts, no rainfed farming practice specially suited to the prevailing soil and agro-climatic condition has yet been developed. There is, therefore, an urgent need to develop drought tolerant crop varieties and drought mitigating technologies that will make maximum use of the land resources of the rainfed farming systems. Rainfed farming practices will also include supplementary irrigation which will help increase crop production during the Kharif season.
Wetland Farming: Large areas of wetland commonly known as beels, baors and haors in the greater districts of Sylhet, Mymensingh, Jessore, Rajshahi and Pabna hold quite high potentials for the development of crop agriculture and fisheries. Crop agriculture and fish production can be carried out simultaneously. Besides, preservation of biodiversity of the wetland will be given high priority. Greater attention will be given during the Fifth Five Year Plan to exploit the potentials of crop agriculture and fisheries through the provision of a situation specific package of development programmes for research, extension, input supply, etc.
Coastal Farming: Coastal areas in the southern part of Bangladesh constitute a specific ecological zone having specific problems and possibilities. Cyclones, tidal bores, salinity, etc., affecting agricultural output frequently visit these areas. Therefore, there is need for developing a salinity resistant variety of rice, for example, for these areas. Coconut, betel nut, palm and mangrove are major cash crops in these areas. Location specific research, extension and other programmes will be developed and provided for the purpose of exploiting the potentials.
Hill Farming: The upland in the hilly areas of the greater Chittagong district, Chittagong hill tracts and Sylhet district constitute a special agricultural zone requiring location specific services and programmes. High potentials exist for the production of fruits, spices and vegetables in these areas. Agricultural development potentials in these areas are quite substantial. Resources will be provided to develop appropriate technologies that are suitable for upland agriculture.
Cropping Intensity: Bangladesh has, by 1996/97, achieved an estimated cropping intensity of about 185 percent. Out of the net cropped area of 7.6 million hectares, about 55 percent is double cropped and approximately 15 percent triple cropped. However, about 30 percent is still single cropped. Since all the suitable land is already under cultivation, raising the intensity of land use is needed. It is expected that cropping intensity will reach 192 percent by the terminal year of the Fifth Plan. Cropping intensity from 1992/93 to 2001/2002 is shown in Table 5.
Table 5. Cropping Intensity from 1992/93 to 2001/2002 (Area in million hectares)
Net Land Area
|
Total Cropped Area
|
Cropping Intensity
| |
| 1992/93 |
7.64
|
13.70
|
179%
|
| 1996/97 |
7.60
|
14.08
|
185%
|
| 2001/2002 (Projection) |
7.50
|
14.41
|
192%
|
3. PATTERNS OF CROP DIVERSIFICATION IN THE COUNTRY AND SUCCESSFUL CROP SEQUENCES
The rate of population increase was 2.8 percent during the 1960's. To feed the ever increasing population, the Government placed emphasis on the production of cereals crops, mainly rice, with the introduction of HYVs of rice and wheat both from home and abroad by launching 'Green Revolution' and ITAP 'Grow More Food' programmes. As a result, production of major cereal crops i.e., rice and wheat, increased tremendously. But the production of minor cereal crops like pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, fruits and spices declined gradually year after year and finally failed to keep pace with the rapid population growth. This involved the use of a huge amount of valuable foreign exchange in importing those minor cereal crops to improve the nutritional and nutrient status of the people and of the soils.
Minor cereal crops are relatively cheap sources of protein and calorie and they also have a positive impact on the nutrient balance of the soil. The farmers can easily cultivate these crops after harvesting the major ones. With this realization and to reduce the huge drain of foreign exchange in importing those crops, the Government of Bangladesh launched a Crop Diversification Programme in the 1990's. After mass awareness creation through demonstrations and other mass media, the farmers started adopting this programme. The crop diversification patterns that are being followed in the country are given below:-
Land Type
|
Cropping Pattern
|
| High | 1. Boro - T.Aman - Fallow |
| 2. Potato - Boro (HYV) - T.Aman | |
| 3. Pulses - Jute - Fallow | |
| 4. Wheat - Kaon - T.Aman | |
| 5. Tomato - Aus - Vegetables | |
| Medium | 1. Potato - Boro - T.Aman |
| 2. Wheat - T.Aman - Pulses | |
| 3. Oilseed - Boro - T.Aman | |
| 4. Boro - T.Aman - Mustard | |
| 5. Tomato - Aus - Vegetable | |
| Low | 1. Potato - Boro B.Aman |
| 2. Boro - T.Aman - Fallow | |
| 3. Kaon - T.Aman - Fallow | |
| 4. Wheat - Boro - T.Aman | |
| 5. Jute - T.Aman - Fallow |
The forces that led crop diversification are described for each major pattern as follows:
Major Patterns
|
Forces
|
| i. Potato - Boro (HYV) - T.Aman | a. Irrigation facility |
| b. Maximum return | |
| c. Land suitability | |
| ii. Wheat - Kaon - T.Aman | a. Irrigation facility |
| b. Credit facility | |
| c. Land suitability | |
| iii. Pulses - Aus - Vegetables | a. Improving soil fertility |
| b. Balanced diet | |
| c. Maximum profit | |
| iv. Wheat - Aus - T.Aman | a. Irrigation facilities |
| b. Credit facility | |
| c. Land suitability | |
| v. Boro - T.Aman - Fallow | a. Land suitability |
| b. Demand of cereal foods | |
| c. Improving sol fertility. |
Rice, in Bangladesh, is grown throughout the year in three distinct cropping seasons both in irrigated, lowland and upland conditions as follows:
| i) Irrigated conditions | 1. Potato - Kaon - T.Aman |
| 2. Boro - T.Aman - Fallow | |
| 3. Wheat - Kaon - T.Aman | |
| 4. Potato - Boro - T.Aman | |
| 5. Tomato - Aus - T.Aman | |
| 6. Pulses - Aus - Fallow | |
| ii) Lowland conditions | 1. Wheat - T.Aman - Fallow |
| 2. Boro - T.Aman - Fallow | |
| 3. Potato - Boro - Aus | |
| 4. Aus - T.Aman - Fallow | |
| 5. Kaon - T.Aman - Fallow | |
| 6. Boro (HYV) - Fallow - Fallow | |
| iii) Upland conditions | 1. Mustard - Kaon - T.Aman |
| 2. Potato - Kaon - T.Aman | |
| 3. Spices - T.Aman - Fallow | |
| 4. Wheat - Vegetable - T.Aman | |
| 5. Pulses - Aus - T.Aman | |
| 6. Wheat - Jute - T.Aman |
Diversification around Upland Crops: The upland crops can only survive for a short period if the root zone remains saturated. Most of the CDP crops cannot sustain growth in saturated soils for more than one or two days. Moreover, high rainfall during critical growth stages badly damages the upland crops. With adequate irrigation, most of the uplands can become highly suitable for diversified crops during the dry season and moderately suitable rice fields during the wet seasons. For this, between two main rice crops some selected upland crops are diversified and are grown throughout the year.
Diversification around Other Crops: In a multiple cropping system, farmers are cultivating two vegetable crops either solely (one short and another long duration crop) or mixed/relay cropping. This has only been possible due to good soil conditions, available irrigation facilities and adequate farmers' knowledge about the vegetable crops and marketing facility etc., which led the farmers to follow crop diversification around other crops.
There are a lot of success stories in crop diversification in Bangladesh, from the CDP project as well as from the ongoing GOB/UNDP/FAO project “Thana Cereal Technology Transfer and Identification” (TCTTI), which are now being replicated in 80 new Thanas using GOB resources and personnel.
To quote one example Md. Tajul Islam of Saganna village of Jhenaidah district is a literate farmer, he owns 5.5 hectares of cultivated land with a small family of 4 members. Farming is his full time occupation. His father was a farmer and migrated to Jhenaidah from Munshigonj. Munshigonj is a famous place for growing banana, potato and vegetables. Mr. Tajul occasionally visits his ancestral village in Munshigonj. Before adopting crop diversification, he used to grow paddy, jute, mustard, sesamum, kaon, etc. After being motivated to grow CDP crops and ensured of irrigation facilities, he now grows HYV Aman, wheat, Aus, banana, papaya, beans, tomato, brinjal, cauliflower, cabbage, potato, chilies and potol etc., and became the pioneer in his village in the field of crop diversification. This has enhanced his income significantly. Seeing this, other neighbouring farmers started practicing crop diversification in his area.
4. CROP DIVERSIFICATION AS A STRATEGY (INSTRUMENT) FOR FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY, INCOME GROWTH, POVERTY ALLEVIATION AND SUSTAINABILITY
Malnutrition, in Bangladesh, is still an issue of national urgency with considerable damage to the health and survival of the most vulnerable group i.e., children and women. Though food production has increased over the last few decades, a downward trend in the intake of calories per person per day has resulted in widespread chronic dietary deficiency. The consumption of food items other than the cereals is much less than the minimum requirements. Further, the composition of the diet is not balanced as 85 percent of the calorie and 60 percent of the protein intake is derived from cereals. The main reasons for such a situation are mainly the low diversification of crops, inadequate nutritional knowledge, inequitable distribution of income, and low purchasing power. To address food and nutritional security, a number of projects including TCTTI and CDP have been undertaken in the agriculture sector for increased production of different food items through developing HYVs of cereal crops as well as of pulses, vegetables, fruits, etc. In doing so, the nutritional aspects are given high priority to minimize the existing nutritional deficiency.
The introduction of CDP in the agriculture sector has had a positive effect on raising the production of potato, oilseeds, pulses, fruits and vegetables in the CDP areas as compared with in non CDP areas. The CDP still continues to play a very important role in the economy of the country. Presently, the agriculture sector contributes about 32 percent to the national GDP, nearly 62 percent to the national employment with 57 percent of the labour force in the crop sector alone. It is still the single largest contributor to additional income and employment generation required to reduce rural poverty and to attain sustainable economic development. The TCTTI project has ensured sustainable intensification of rice production in Bangladesh and raised possibilities for expanding crop diversification in the highlands and medium lands during the Rabi season.
The area suitable for crop production is estimated to be a little over 9 million hectares. With the growth in population and other infrastructure development, the cropped areas have been steadily declining. To ensure food and nutrition for the ever increasing population, suitable cropping patterns were introduced based on the concept of crop diversification depending on soils and other agro-climatic conditions, which raised cropping intensity to 185 percent in 1997 from 100 percent in 1979. As agricultural production is seed-fertilizer-water based, so more than 152 production technologies for crops including varieties and management practices have so far been developed. Private traders/distributors were given permission to have a direct access to the bulk purchase of chemical fertilizers as well as to import TSP and MP fertilizers freely which has led to increased availability and wider adoption of chemical fertilizers at the farm level. Irrigation water was ensured through removing the restriction on the imports of small diesel engines, withdrawal of customs duty, and the abolition of tube-well siting restriction in non-surface irrigation areas, which led to a tangible effect on the demand for irrigation equipment and the rate of increase in area under minor irrigation.
The strategy for sustaining agricultural growth is based on changing the nature of Bangladesh agriculture from a relatively high risk monsoon based to lower risk irrigation based cropping system. Sustaining the growth of rice production and emphasizing and stimulating crop diversification are the key strategies to be pursued in future. This will come from rapid application and expansion of HYV seed-fertilizer-irrigation technology, relying more on competitive markets for inputs delivery, stabilizing soil fertility etc. In order to combat environmental degradation due to pesticide use and ensure effective pest management, the practice of integrated pest management (IPM) will continue to be pursued. A capability is being developed to monitor changes in the environment, particularly of soils and surface and ground water with a view to ensure sustainable agricultural development and environmental protection.
5. CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES AND PROSPECTS OF CROP DIVERSIFICATION IN THE COUNTRY
As Bangladesh is endowed with favourable climate and soils for the production of a variety of crops all the year round, so ample opportunities exist for crop diversification, balancing major crop production with minor crop production. Minor crop production has tremendous potential if seasonal fallow land is brought under irrigation with technology packages given to the farmers. The per acre yield of minor crops can be increased by improving agronomic management practices with the existing crop varieties. The main problems/constraints facing CDP relate to a variety of factors. These are marketing problems, ineffective agriculture credit supply, lack of the right kind of technology and low level of investment, non-availability of quality seed, shortage of draught power, lack of maintenance of soil fertility, lack of irrigation coverage, and ineffective research-extension linkages.
Introduction of the Crop Diversification Programme in agriculture has created a golden opportunity to commercialize the production by small holding farmers of those minor crop varieties which are highly profitable and remunerative and which are import substituting and export-oriented through the establishment of community storage and easy transportation facilities. This commercialization of CDP crops can help promote the establishment of joint-venture enterprises in Bangladesh and around the world that will buy, process and export those labour intensive crops and increase economic activity and the creation of employment opportunities at home and abroad. With the inauguration of the Bangobandhu Multipurpose Bridge in June 1998, the agricultural hinterland of Northwest Bangladesh has been connected to the rest of the country, thereby enabling a commercial angle to Bangladesh agriculture.
More than 20 crop varieties along with improved cultivation practices were so far developed for crop diversification. Moreover, land use inventory capabilities were developed and transferred to the Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI) for on-going use and application. A significant numbers of Project Implementation Unit (PIU) and NGO officials were trained through 25 local events to enhance their management skills. Some GOB and PIU officials also received foreign training on the administration and management of bilateral and multilateral development of the projects. The ongoing TCTTI project is complementing these activities relating to skill empowerment training and capacity building of farmers and DAE personnel.
Research on agriculture is given the priority thrust to support the increasing population with food, nutrients, clothing and housing from the decreasing land resources. In order to carry out research on CDP crops, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) was given the top priority. BARI has so far developed and released 9 varieties of potato, 5 varieties of pulses, a number of varieties of wheat, 5 varieties of oilseeds, and several improved cultivation techniques for vegetables. The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), being the lead Government agency in the dissemination of technologies to the farmers, is playing an active and vital role with the help of some concerned NGOs to disseminate those extension messages to the farm families.
In order to succeed and bring positive changes towards the development of minor crops, the CDP has an opportunity to get support from the following organizations:
i.
| Research - Research on CDP crops has been entrusted with BARI, Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), and Chittagong University (CU) also conducts research on those crops. So liaison should be made with these institutions. |
ii.
| Marketing - The Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM) needs to be activated with the request to provide market intelligence to facilitate growers with market information and intelligence in cities and rural areas. DAM will promote, popularize and provide marketing support to growers through farming groups and organization |
iii.
| NGOs - The involvement of efficient NGOs in association with DAE is likely to accelerate the promotion of CDP activities. |
iv.
| BADC - The role of Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) is confined to the production of foundation seeds of CDP crops in their own farms and certified seed through contract growers. |
Infrastructure development and refurbishing of BARI facilities and equipment will provide an opportunity to contribute greatly to maintaining the productivity of research on CDP crops.
6. GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND STRATEGIES FOR CROP DIVERSIFICATION
6.1 Fifth Five Year Plan Targets
Sustainability of high yield and environmental protection remain the principal concerns in recent years. Loss of soil fertility followed by the unbalanced use of chemical fertilizers, lack of adequate quantity of water in some areas as well as their appropriate conservation and management are the major factors causing divergence between potential and actual output of major agricultural commodities. Various studies indicate that the yield potential of the existing HYVs of rice is more than 4 Mt/ha, whereas the average yield of most of the other varieties of rice is around 2 Mt/ha. Major tasks during the Fifth Five Year Plan will be to address these issues. The specific objectives of the Plan will be to:
a) increase productivity and real income of farming families in rural areas on a sustainable basis through sustainable intensification of rice production and situation-oriented crop diversification;b) attain self-sufficiency in foodgrain production along with increased production of other nutritional crops;Policies and Strategies: In order to achieve the objectives, the strategies/policies will be evolved and adopted to bring about necessary technical change. The following will be the specific policies and strategies:
c) encourage export of agricultural commodities, particularly vegetables and fruits keeping in view domestic production and need;
d) promote adoption of modern agricultural practices in dry land, wetland and coastal areas;
e) ensure sustained agricultural growth through more efficient and balanced utilization of land, water and other resources; and
f) encourage comparatively large farms to graduate into commercial farming.
a) improvement of the quality of seeds of desirable growth duration which will fit into suitable crop sequences, particularly HYVs and hybrid seeds, and increasing quantity;b) development of modern, irrigated and least-risk agriculture with greater reliance on competitive markets through supply of agricultural inputs at low cost, making public investment more effective and keeping it limited to key areas as required to supplement private initiatives;6.2 Major Areas of Public Sector Promotional Activities
c) strengthening of the agricultural research and extension systems in order to develop new technologies relating to crop varieties, integrated farming system, organic farming, improved agronomic and agro-processing technologies, and for diffusion of the proven technologies;
d) development and dissemination of ecologically sound and sustainable technologies such as integrated pest management (IPM) techniques, and organic and bio-fertilizer use;
e) increasing profitable production of minor crops and thereby maintaining a balanced crop production and improving the nutritional status of the people;
f) development of suitable technologies in rain-fed, dry land and wetland farming system to enhance their productivity;
g) restoration/improvement of soil fertility through better management of the organic matter of soil to improve yields of crops; towards this end, production and use of bio-manure will be encouraged;
h) assistance to small and marginal farmers in forming groups and associations which can i) enhance production and productivity, ii) sustain agro-business enterprises on their own, iii) absorb more credit fund, and iv) adopt/disseminate technologies;
i) participation of NGOs in the agricultural development process;
j) improvement and conservation of plant genetic resources through collection and conservation of germplasm;
k) facilitation of access to markets and promotion of efficient marketing system;
l) formulation of integrated land use policy conductive to optimum use of agricultural resources;
m) implementation of measures to cushion and minimize the damage to agriculture and rural economy brought about by natural calamities;
n) development of capabilities of rural women and the youth to contribute more to agricultural and rural development;
o) restructuring of the existing institutional setup to cope with the changed need;
p) development of human resources through education, training skill empowerment and motivation;
q) development and dissemination of appropriate location-specific and cost-reducing production and post-harvest technologies for reduction of post-harvest losses and the removal of transport bottlenecks; and
r) adoption of policies and regulations that will ensure sustainable agricultural development.
The crop production strategy of Bangladesh will be based on the following central thrusts: a) increased distribution of high quality HYV seeds by the public sector; b) accelerated transformation into irrigated agriculture to increase and stabilize crop yields; c) sustainable intensification of the cropping systems; d) decreased dependence on draught power through mechanization and bridging of the yield gaps in irrigated areas; e) improvement of productivity and minimization of production risks in the rainfed, wetland, high land and coastal farming system; f) diversification of farming systems to take advantage of favourable agro-ecological conditions; g) responding to changing consumer demands and developing a more sustainable agricultural system; h) vertical coordination of the production, harvesting and marketing chain; and i) strengthening of extension, research and other support services.
With the adoption of technologically advantageous HYVs of rice and wheat, food production increased on the one hand, but on the other hand, the decline in minor food crop production resulted in malnutrition causing considerable damage to the health and survival of the most vulnerable group. In order to have a healthy nation for quick and sustained economic growth, the government has taken up the Crop Diversification Programme for balancing major crop production with minor crop production. The increased production and intake of minor crops has a tremendous potential to alleviate nutritional deficiencies. Besides, crop rotation - exhaustive crops followed by recuperative crops, shallow rooted crops by deep-rooted crops, legume followed by non-legume etc., enrich/maintain soil fertility. They are also cheap sources of protein and calories. The poor farmer can cultivate these crops after harvesting the major crops. Awareness building and enthusiasm have made the farmers believe that crop diversification is an effective means to improve the performance of those crops that have potentials to improve the nutritional status of food and soil fertility. Apart from their impact on CDP, the Government has taken the following strategies to reduce the dependence on rice cultivation and also to realize the full potentials for agricultural growth in the country:
- The unexploited but potential areas for specific crops under CDP will be brought under cultivation, where feasible and possible, with improved technologies in a phased manner.- The promotion support programmes to commercial production will be encouraged to adopt those crops or crop varieties which are highly profitable and remunerative and which are import substituting and export-oriented.7. CONCLUSIONS
- Farmers' location-specific, innovative technologies applicable to other similar areas will be transferred and incorporated in specific crop production programmes.
- Research on CDP crops, particularly pulses, oilseeds and vegetables will be strengthened to produce double cropped and double seasoned variety of pulses and oilseeds. This will help reduce importation of oilseeds and pulses and save hard-earned foreign exchange, to a great extent.
The introduction of CDP in the agriculture sector has created an awareness among the farmers to grow and consume a variety of crops like pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, fruits, spices, etc. Certain pulses such as chickpea, field pea, mungbean and lentil produce reasonably good yields with better management including irrigation, fertilization and weed control. The profit gained from these crops is higher than that of HYV rice and wheat. The farmers' awareness about the production of vegetables in recent years is better than in the past because of the provision of promotional support to produce more vegetables. The crops with moderately improved varieties are showing good response provided improved varieties and cultural practices are adopted. The HYVs of crops like potato, tomato, beans, mustard, sunflower, watermelon and banana are giving maximum yield when provided with irrigation, fertilization and better management. The promotion programme is being extended to spices and some country vegetables and fruits that do not have HYV, but do have high comparative profitability and incentives for the farmers. The stable and productive land under Deep Tube Well (DTW) and Shallow Tube Well (STW) command areas are being used for minor crops through creating awareness among the farmers.
As crop diversification is believed to be an effective means for improving the performance of agriculture in Bangladesh, so the future directions are formulated based on the assumptions that: (a) there would be more technological advancement of crop production, (b) more area would be brought under irrigation, (c) farmers would use improved varieties and apply improved agronomic management practices, (d) there would be increased use of fertilizer, (e) the IPM concept would be popularized among the farmers, (f) more crops would be grown to increase cropping intensity, (g) flood control and drainage projects would result in more lands free from risk and facilitate crop production, (h) there would be marketing improvement for internal and export demand, and (i) there would be more selective small farm mechanization, particularly in land preparation and also in harvesting to release land quickly for planting the next crops by reducing the turn-around time.
8. RECOMMENDATIONS
Considering the importance of crop diversification for increasing farmers' income and employment opportunities, reducing production risk and improving soil fertility and human nutrition, the following recommendations are drawn:
· By continuous motivation and encouragement, the farmers would be made financially better off by growing at least one CDP crop, vegetable and fruit crop which is much more labour intensive than rice production directly involves women and can employ many more marginal farmers and landless as labourers. The population could be better off, because its nutrition will be improved and the soil will benefit because crop rotation is a proven management technique. So it is imperative to sustain crop diversification.· Efficient support services and institutions for credit, marketing, processing and packing should be geared up to open the door for CDP crops.
· To encourage crop diversification, some prospective cropping patterns, improved practices and irrigation management should be demonstrated at different locations.
· Further research should be undertaken for varietal improvement of high-value CDP crops and for assessing the technical and economic feasibility of growing them under both irrigated and non-irrigated conditions. As adjustments in growth duration become an obvious necessity, breeding crop varieties which would fit into changed cropping sequences would become necessary for increasing the overall production of the cropping system.
· In view of the predominantly small farmer holdings that are operating, whatever recommendations are made should be specifically targeted to improve the production system of small farmer holdings, tenant farmers and the marginal and landless category of the population.
For further details log on website :
http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/x6906e/x6906e04.htm#CROP%20DIVERSIFICATION%20IN%20BANGLADESH%20M.%20Enamul%20Hoque*
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