[🇧🇩] Agriculture in Bangladesh

[Saif]

Gender wage gap still persists in agriculture

Farmers in Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha are currently engaging labourers to weed their fields of Boro season paddy ahead of the upcoming harvesting period.

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Gender wage gap still persists in agriculture​

Female farmhands engaged in weeding on a piece of land growing Boro season paddy in Kuptola village of Gaibandha sadar upazila recently. Here women get Tk 300 working from 8:00am to 5:00pm whereas men Tk 400 to Tk 500, a stark reminder of persistent inequalities between men and women in the workplace. According to UN Women, the gender pay gap stands at 20 percent globally, meaning women workers earn 80 percent of what men do. And the cumulative effect of pay disparities has real, daily negative consequences for women, their families, and society, especially during crises. Photo: Mostafa Shabuj

Farmers in Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha are currently engaging labourers to weed their fields of Boro season paddy ahead of the upcoming harvesting period.

Interestingly, there are more women working in the fields than men, indicating a major paradigm shift in the once male-dominated agriculture industry.​

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But despite the narrowing gender gap, the significant wage gap between men and women in this line of work still persists, with male workers earning around Tk 450 per day while females make Tk 300.
As such, industry people say the prevalence of women in fields suggests that landowners have a financial motive to lower costs by hiring the comparatively cheaper female workers.

This is because the lower wages paid to female labourers allow landowners to enjoy the advantage of being able to hire a greater number of workers, thereby reducing the time needed to complete the work.

The wage discrepancy is not a new phenomenon as women have historically been paid less than men across all industries. And even when overall wages increase, the gap remains the same, they said.

Rina Begum, who works at a field in the Kuptula area of Gaibandha to support her family of five, said she was afraid to speak out against income inequality.

"If I speak against income inequality, then there will be fewer employment opportunities for me," she added.

Roshna Bewa, a 60-year-old widow, said she has been working in fields across Gaibandha for two decades since her husband's passing, with the stagnant wage gap not giving her any respite.

Abu Bakar, a landowner in Sadullapur upazila, employs four women for weeding. According to him, the wages paid to women are the market standard.

Although the wage gap is financially beneficial for landowners, it is not helping women make progress in terms of equality in the agriculture industry.

Halima Begum, who works for Bakar, said societal norms dictate that men's and women's wages cannot be equal as men are perceived to be stronger and more productive.

"This flawed perception is one of the reasons we get paid less," she added.

Rozia Begum, another worker at Bakar's field, echoed the same. "Our only option is to go along with this discriminatory practice as the alternative of having no work is even more bleak," she said.

Sadeka Halim, vice-chancellor of Jagannath University, said the agriculture sector employs the highest number of women although they do not have equal rights or control over land.

A portion of them look after land on behalf of absentee landlords and there is also a good portion of female-headed households, she added.

Sadeka, a former dean of the social sciences faculty at Dhaka University, said women have made advances in the formal sector.

However, 46 percent of women still work in the informal sector, where there are no rules and regulations and it is mainly the employers who determine the terms and conditions, she said.

She said female workers do not take breaks like men but they are discriminated against as they lack a focal point to raise a voice in their favour.

"This is true for women agricultural workers too. They are very much voiceless. They do not have any organisation or group to raise their voice for them to protect and ensure their rights," said Sadeka.

"The labour ministry should engage all stakeholders and work for ensuring the rights of workers in the informal sector too," she said.

Sharmind Neelormi, professor of economics at Jahangirnagar University, blamed pay inequality on social norms that considered women's labour to be less efficient.

She said the wage disparity between male and male workers has narrowed little over the decades.

"Previously, only meals were provided. The margin was over 50 percent before in the 1990s, but it is now down to 20-25 percent," she explained.

But the situation has changed as the use of manual labour has decreased thanks to agricultural mechanisation. If the use of such machinery rises, the gap will be reduced, she added.

Sadika Haque, professor of agricultural economics at Bangladesh Agricultural University, says women work in crop fields and play a major role in production and post-harvest management.

In an article on women in agriculture and their empowerment in a book titled "Bangladesher Krishi Orthoniti", she, citing research findings, said out of 23 stages from rice production to storing, women participate in 17 stages.

She, however, said women workers in agriculture face wage discrimination, getting Tk 42 lower than their male counterparts a day.

The daily average wage of a female farm worker is Tk 388, she said in the book published in 2022.

Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, Sadika said the government should form a policy for farm workers to ensure fair wages for them regardless of gender.

She said there was a perception among employers and men that women workers do less work than men.

"This is a wrong perception. Rather, women work sincerely as long as they stay in the workplace," said Sadika.

"Awareness of employers is also necessary, as is the need for change in social attitudes towards women workers," she said, adding that steps must also be taken to protect women workers from harassment.

Ensuring education for women is necessary to enhance their skills too, added Sadika.​

 

[Saif]

Agri export suffers sharpest decline in 7 years

The export growth of agricultural products, including vegetables, fruits and dry food, decreased 26.96 per cent in the first eight months of the current financial year, the sharpest decline in seven years, official figures showed.

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Agri export suffers sharpest decline in 7 years​

The export of agricultural products, including vegetables, fruits and dry food, decreased 26.96 per cent in the first eight months of the current financial year, the sharpest decline in seven years, official figures showed.

Agricultural products fetched $623.18 million in July-February of 2022-23, which was $853 million in the same eight-month period of 2021-22, according to data from the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).​

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This was the sharpest decline in seven years. It rose 28.36 per cent in July-February of 2021-22.

The sharp export slowdown is threatening Bangladesh's increasing earnings from the selling of agricultural products in the external markets.

The shipment went past the $1-billion mark for the first time in 2020-21 when exporters fetched $1.03 billion. The momentum continued in the following fiscal year when the earnings rose to $1.16 billion, according to the EPB.

Exporters blame the higher raw material costs and buyers' reluctance to procure products from Bangladesh at the escalated prices for the decline.

Owing to higher cargo fares and freight costs, local exporters themselves are also showing a lack of interest in selling fresh farm produce in the overseas markets, they said.

Mohammad Shahadat Hossain, assistant general manager for exports at Kazi Food Industries Limited, said: "Due to the increase in the price of raw materials, buyers are not agreeing to the new price. Our prices are also much higher than in the competing countries. So, we are losing markets."

At the same time, the profit margin has also decreased, he claimed.

Firms exported frozen vegetables, fruits and processed foods to 12 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Italy, France, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

"Although the quality of our products is better than competitors', Bangladesh is lagging behind due to higher prices," Hossain added.

Mizanur Rahman, proprietor of Need Agro Foods Limited, said the cost of production had increased by 35 per cent. "When the new price is sent to buyers, they don't want to place orders. As a result, orders have decreased."

Need Agro Foods exports bakery products and spices to Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Rahman said competitor countries such as India could sell products at prices that are lower than quoted by Bangladeshi companies. Even Pakistan is selling products at lower prices than Bangladesh.

Square Food and Beverage Ltd usually exports aromatic rice, spices, mustard oil and snacks to the Middle East, the United States, Canada and various European countries.

Rezaul Karim, assistant manager of the international marketing department of the company, said the government has stopped the export of aromatic rice since July 2022 to keep the local rice market stable.

"So, we can't export aromatic rice now. This has a negative impact on our overall exports."

Rice accounts for about 30 per cent of the export value of Square Food and Beverage.

Debasish Singha, head of business at Danish Biscuit, owned by Partex Star Group, said the company's goods exports fell by nearly 20 per cent in July-February due to rising prices and the ongoing global economic slowdown.

It ships products to 54 countries.

A top official of an export-oriented company, said some exporters used to show higher receipts in their documents in order to reap more benefits from the government's incentives.

"After the issue came to the notice of the government, the misuse has reduced. This could be one of the main factors for the decline in exports," he said.

The government provides a 20 per cent incentive for the export of agricultural products.

SM Jahangir Hossain, president of the Bangladesh Fruits, Vegetables and Allied Products Exporters' Association, said freight costs have gone up. So, importers, mainly in the Middle East, are showing a lack of interest to buy fresh farm produce from Bangladesh.

"In the last six months, airlines have hiked cargo fares at will," he said, adding that the air freight cost has shot up 40 per cent over the last one year.​

 

[Saif]

Paradox of agricultural mechanisation

THE story of the ‘massive’ mechanisation of agriculture in Bangladesh, sordidly, conceals more than it reveals. A priori reasoning...

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Paradox of agricultural mechanisation
Abdul Bayes | Published: 00:00, Mar 13,2024

— LightCastle Partners

THE story of the ‘massive’ mechanisation of agriculture in Bangladesh, sordidly, conceals more than it reveals. A priori reasoning would suggest that such mechanisation would have raised both yield and profitability, thus putting the farmers on an even keel. But allegedly, they are in peril with dwindling margins. The paradox of rising mechanisation and farmers’ failing fortunes from production has been amply addressed by recent research. A group of researchers from the International Food Policy Research Institute attempted to shed important insights into agricultural mechanisation in Bangladesh. The overall goal of the research on the state of agricultural mechanisation in Bangladesh is to assess the mechanisation support programme’s impact on the agricultural sector and its effectiveness.

The discussion kicks off with the observation of declining agricultural labour force participation (2005–2022) and increasing real wages in agriculture (2010–2022) and then presents a summarised sequential history of mechanisation policy over time:

Adoption of mechanised irrigation (1970–1990): liberalisation of input markets, elimination of import tariffs on machinery, multiple engine and pump brands and sizes, and spare parts entering the market; repair workshops appear.

Adoption of mechanised tillage (1990–2005): duty-free import for 2WT (1995), flourishing of SME metal workshops, flourishing of machinery rental market local service providers.

Adoption of mechanised threshing (2005–): targeted government incentives for the purchase of selected machinery (combines, transplanters, etc), special consideration to areas where mechanisation is lagging.

There is evidence of large regional variations in the extent of machine use, with the coastal and haor belts witnessing the least mechanisation owing to a variety of factors: machines considered are power pump, seeder, power tiller, tractor, and thresher; lowest levels of ownership in the coastal zone and north-east (focus of government mechanisation priorities); highest levels of machine ownership in the west and north-west (districts with high cropping intensity) and hubs of small-scale machinery manufacturing have emerged in the west and north-west.

In fact, the government has extended its support for mechanisation in the form of various incentives, especially in the import of machines. For example, in the first phase, the government offered a 30 per cent incentive for purchasing power threshers, reaper sprayers, power tillers, seeders, weeders, dryers, power winnowers, sprinkler irrigation sets, etc. In the second phase (2012–2019), the government granted a 50–70 per cent incentive for purchasing power threshers, reapers, sprayers (foot pumps), combine harvesters, and rice transplanters. In the third phase (2019–), the government provided a 50–70 per cent incentive for purchasing power threshers, reapers, sprayers, combine harvesters, and rice transplanters, seeder/bed planter, power weeder, dryer, maize sheller, potato digger, potato chip maker, carrot washer, etc.

As a result of those incentives, machine ownership increased from 2008 and 2019, but from a very low base. Ownership of agricultural machinery increased among smallholders, but remained concentrated among larger farms; most agricultural machines used by farmers are rented (84–98 per cent). It means that there has developed a large rental market for agricultural machines in rural areas.

Through regression analysis, the researchers reached to the impacts of mechanisation (2011–2018) by types of equipment as follows:

Threshing helped gain small yield through reduced grain loss, saved labour, and increased in labour productivity slightly. But there was no increase in profitability associated with threshing (rental costs may offset labour savings/yield increase)

Other machines also did little to help save labour or increase profitability. Reasons for using these machines appear to be convenience, speed, and avoiding drudgery.

On the other hand, during 2011–2018, wage rates monotonically increased by 16–30 per cent but paddy prices monotonically moved in opposite directions by 18–29 per cent. In fact, the real gross margin for boro cultivation (constant 2011 prices) declined from about Tk 18 thousand per acre to about 7 thousand per acre, and the net margin (including opportunity costs) fell from Tk 10 thousand to minus 800 during 2011–2018. It thus seemingly shows that mechanisation of irrigation, land preparation, and threshing is insufficient to improve farmers’ economic performance. At the same time, it suggests that mechanisation of largely unmechanized labour-intensive tasks will be needed to move the needle.

As has been argued by the researchers, the most labour-intensive is planting and threshing, where no penetration of machines is evident yet, thus eroding farmers’ profits due to the high wage for labour. For example only 0.1 per cent of rice farmers used machines for planting and 0.9 per cent for harvesting in 2018.

The researchers have come up with a number of recommendations for policymakers. The emerging policy considerations should be: rental market is key for smallholder access to agricultural machinery; large machines are much more expensive than small machinery; banks are hesitant to provide loans due to limited rural presence, lack of credit history, and lack of understanding of rental service business viability; importers and manufacturers have limited capacity to extend (or obtain) credit; current mechanisation policy prohibits transfer of machine ownership; no hire-purchase loans via banks (common in other countries); challenges with spare parts, maintenance for sophisticated machines; and few skilled operators, mechanics, and little training.

It must also be admitted that we face knowledge gaps on different fronts, such as the extent of adoption of machines for planting and harvesting; the impacts of adoption of new machines (yields, profitability, labour allocation, gender, climate); the financial viability of rental service provision models for service providers and barriers to effective operation; the efficacy of targeting incentives for machine purchases and scope for improvement; and effective models for financing machine purchases and rentals.

In Conclusions, the authors tend to observe a long-run decline in the profitability of farming due to tightening rural labour markets and declining cereal prices (pre-2022); high levels of mechanisation in irrigation, land preparation, and threshing; limited scope for productivity gains or cost savings; that mechanising harvesting and planting has the potential to reduce labour constraints, improve productivity, free up labour, and reduce costs; that the extent of adoption, impacts, and constraints are not yet well understood; and that focused research is needed to inform policy choices that enable accelerated adoption.

So, unless the most labour-intensive segments of rice crop production, such as transplanting and harvesting, are mechanised, the paradox of mechanisation and mourning can hardly be resolved, and all attempts should be thrown in that direction.

Abdul Bayes, a former professor of economics and vice-chancellor of Jahangirnagar University, is an adjunct faculty at East West University.​

 

[Saif]

Weather-resilient rice farming promises

THE agricultural sector plays a vital role in promoting its economic growth. The contributions of agriculture and the crop subsector to the...

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Weather-resilient rice farming promises
Published: 00:00, Mar 14,2024

A successful and extensive implementation of WFBAS in rice production would help to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2.4, which focuses on rice productivity and profitability for farmers as well as long-term food security, writes Niaz Md Farhat Rahman

THE agricultural sector plays a vital role in promoting its economic growth. The contributions of agriculture and the crop subsector to the gross domestic product are about 13.47 per cent and 6.77 per cent, respectively. Rice is the main staple crop in Bangladesh, supplying more than 80 per cent of the total consumed food and contributing 60 per cent of the total required protein. The country ranks third in the world in rice production.


The contribution of rice farming, with a share of about 70 per cent, to the agricultural GDP is significant. Nearly 48 per cent of total rural employment in Bangladesh is directly or indirectly involved in rice production, and more than 13 million farms grow rice in an area covering some 11.77 million hectares, accounting for 78 per cent of the total agricultural crop production.

The weather significantly influences crop growth, maturity, yields, pest and disease prevalence, and water and fertiliser needs. Furthermore, the weather also has an impact on the quality of crops during their movement from the field to warehousing and then to the market. Adverse weather can affect the quality of products during transportation, as well as the viability and vigour of seeds and planting material during warehousing.

Crops and cropping systems must be matched to the meteorological requirements for maximum yield in a specific area, and pest- and disease-prevalent seasons must be avoided. Short-period meteorological data, either routine or analysed (like initial and conditional probability), play a significant role in strategic crop and cropping practice planning.



Usually, farmers cultivate in a weather-blind situation for several hours. Therefore, variations in weather and extreme weather events frequently damage crops, and farmers do not take any precautionary measures. Moreover, the benefit of favourable weather events (eg, fertiliser application on a sunny day or reduction of irrigation for the next hours or days of rainfall) remains unexploited. Weather-smart farming would consider the weather forecast and translate it into advice for farm operations to reduce the risk of adverse weather events and utilise the benefits of favourable weather events.

Agricultural weather forecasts give the required meteorological messages to guide farmers in making decisions in time about particular field activities. The impact of weather irregularities on a given crop depends on different cropping stages and on the location. The Weather Forecast-based Advisory Service under Weather Resilient Rice Cultivation Technology developed by Agromet Lab of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute is a crop management system that uses weather forecasts to generate location-specific and crop growth-stage-wise advisory services.

WFBAS is an effective concept and technique for weather as well as weather-smart rice production in Bangladesh. It can help farmers and decision-makers make appropriate rice crop management decisions for various weather conditions ahead of time. It would lessen risk as well as allow farmers to take advantage of favourable weather circumstances.

For the first time, the BRRI Agromet Lab reported on the performance of WFBAS and traditional farming practices regarding yield enhancement, profitability, and the risk of rice cultivation in different regions of Bangladesh.

The experimental findings of the BRRI Agromet Lab reveal that farmers who practice weather-resilient rice cultivation technology can enhance grain yield by 7 per cent, about half a tonne more than traditional. The study found strong evidence that management was a significant contributor to enhancing rice yield rather than choice of variety.


Nevertheless, the effective utilisation of weather information can significantly decrease overall crop losses. Furthermore, the optimal and timely use of inputs in the WFBAS system can lower production costs by an average of 13 per cent. In terms of risk, WFBAS is better than FP, despite the greater environmental variance. Moreover, WFBAS provided a scope to protect the environment with the minimum residual effect of fertiliser and pesticides. It also reduced the pressure on groundwater by ensuring efficient water management. Overall, farmers can earn an additional US$229.33 per hectare from Boro rice following the WFBAS instead of FP because WFBAS is less cost-intensive (e.g., low production cost) but more productive (eg, higher yield) than FP.

The WFBAS technology was about 31 per cent more profitable than the FP technology. WFBAS is considered an important means to improve farm outcomes by aiding the decision-making of the farmers about various operations (such as sowing, fertiliser application, irrigation, and plant protection) well ahead of time. Around 2 kg more seeds were used with FP technology. FP was found to be more labour-intensive than WFBAS. Farmers used almost 840 labourer hours per hectare on average under FP, whereas it was around 720 labourer hours under the WFBAS management system.

The farmers who followed the WFBAS were able to reduce their use of fertiliser by 16 per cent and irrigation water by 23 per cent while maintaining or even increasing their yields compared to those who did not follow that system. We also found in this study that farmers who followed WFBAS were able to reduce their use of herbicides by 52 per cent, insecticides by 40 per cent and fungicides by 26 per cent while maintaining or even increasing their yields compared to those who did not receive the services. Finally, the farmers benefited from higher income through yield enhancement, reduction of the costs of production, and reduction of risk.

The impact study results of the sensitivity analysis revealed that the adoption of WFBAS technology will stimulate total rough rice production by 0.172 million tonnes if only 5 per cent adoption rates can be ensured. We have valued the farmers’ additional benefit by adopting WFBAS technology in terms of actual (18.25 BDT per kg) as well as the government-declared rough rice farm-gate prices (26.00 BDT per kg) during 2018–19. The results showed that the nation will benefit from adding BDT 3143 million if only 5 per cent of farmers adopt the WFBAS. However, if the government-declared price can be ensured, the benefit can be BDT 4478 million.

We have already set a target of bringing 3 per cent of total farmers under the WFBAS by 2025 and 5 per cent by 2030. The forecast results showed that rough rice production would increase by 0.119 million tonnes if the adoption goal of 3 per cent is met by 2025 and that would be 0.214 million metric tonnes for 5 per cent adoption by 2030. Therefore, the investment in the dissemination of the WFBAS in the smart farming process will be beneficial for sustainable rice production and increase farmers’ income.

Finally, a successful and extensive implementation of WFBAS in the rice production system would assist Bangladesh in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2.4, which focuses on rice productivity and profitability for farmers as well as the long-term food security of the country.

Niaz Md Farhat Rahman is a principal scientific and coordinator, Agromet Lab, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute.​

 

[Saif]

Food minister seeks support from FAO to boost mango export

Food minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder on Thursday sought support from the Food and Agriculture Organisation to increase mango export from Bangladesh....

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Food minister seeks support from FAO to boost mango export
United News of Bangladesh . Dhaka | Published: 19:15, Mar 14,2024

-- UNB photo.

Food minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder on Thursday sought support from the Food and Agriculture Organisation to increase mango export from Bangladesh.

He sought the assistance when Jiaoqun Shi, FAO representative in Bangladesh, paid a courtesy call on him at his secretariat office.


During the meeting, they discussed the development of the country's food management and international commercialisation of local fruits.

The food minister said that Bangladesh had achieved self-sufficiency in the production of cereals.

Besides, the production of fruits and vegetables has also increased a lot, he said adding that the country produced about 25 lakh tonnes of mangoes annually but the amount of export was low compared to production.

Jiaoqun Shi said that FAO was working to strengthen food security around the world and it would continue its support to ensure food security in Bangladesh.

Food decretary Md Ismail Hossain and director general of Food Directorate Md Shakhawat Hossain, among others, were present at the meeting.​

 

[Saif]

Agriculture must adapt to climate change

Our food security, farmers’ survival are at stake

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Agriculture must adapt to climate change​

Our food security, farmers’ survival are at stake

VISUAL: STAR

It is a proven fact that climate change is severely affecting agriculture in Bangladesh. Temperatures are consistently rising along with decreased rainfalls, leading to increased salinity, and thus changing our once-fertile lands into dust bowls or lands with poor yields. Its implications for our food security cannot be more profound. Take rice, our main staple. Varieties that need expensive fertilisers and pesticides have replaced many indigenous, high-yielding varieties of paddy that were nutritious and required no chemicals to grow. While we commend the efforts of the agricultural agencies in developing climate-resilient crops, future efforts must reflect the urgency and innovation necessitated by the intensifying climate change.

A report on Koyra, Khulna tells a positive story about how vast lands left barren by increasing salinity are being turned fertile with farmers planting paddy, vegetables and fruits, while also engaging in fish farming. This has been possible through various government bodies, such as the Department of Agricultural Extension and the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), which support farmers by providing them with salinity-resistant seeds, advice, training and fertilisers. By adapting to cultivation of salinity-tolerant crops and going into fish farming, these farmers are becoming more solvent and do not have to leave their homes to seek employment elsewhere. Therefore, the community as a whole has benefitted.

The Koyra model must be replicated all over the country, especially in districts like Patuakhali where many farmers have had to abandon their ancestral profession for low-paying jobs in the cities, because the lands they grew crops in have become barren. A report in this paper quotes an official of the Meteorological Department of Patuakhali stating that over the last six years, the average temperature in the district has increased by at least 4.5 degrees Celsius. Rains start much later than before and for shorter periods of time. The high temperatures destroy many of the paddy saplings, and lack of rain leads to low-quality yields, only fit for poultry feed. The number of people engaged in agriculture has thus significantly dropped in the last 10 years.

The government must focus on these districts—once major producers of crops but now left with vast areas of fallow lands. We urge the government to mobilise its relevant agricultural bodies and collaborate with private organisations to invest in research of climate-resilient crops specific to these districts. The government should incentivise farmers to return to their farmlands and grow crops again.​

 

[Saif]

Can our crops survive the erratic weather?

Take urgent stock of the impact of El Nino on our agriculture

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Can our crops survive the erratic weather?​

Take urgent stock of the impact of El Nino on our agriculture

Visual: Star

Like the rest of the world, Bangladesh is feeling the heat of extreme weather patterns, with meteorologists predicting lower rainfall and warmer temperatures as a result of El Nino in the region in the coming days. Heatwaves, which frequented the country in May and June, are likely to continue throughout the summer – and beyond. Meanwhile, rainfall has fallen 67 percent below the normal level, as per the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, raising serious concerns about crop production, food security and the fate of our farmers.

According to a report by this daily, heatwaves have impacted the cultivation of Aus crop and summer vegetables, including green chilli. The shortfall of rain will also affect the retting of jute, a cash crop. Rising temperatures and infrequent rain have resulted in prolonged droughts, reducing availability of water for irrigation and severely hampering crop production. Farmers state that their cost of Aus production has increased by 25 percent, and that croplands are drying out even after irrigation. Moreover, heat stress poses a direct threat to crops, especially heat-sensitive varieties. Production of chillies, for instance, has been gravely affected by the erratic temperatures. According to our correspondent, chilli growers in Bogura and Gaibandha districts would usually get 50-80 maunds of green chilli from one bigha of land, but this year, they are getting roughly seven to eight maunds per bigha. How are farmers supposed to survive if their cash crop fails them?

Given that countries from which we import food items are also reeling from similar erratic weather, we must now seriously confront the very real threat of food insecurity, particularly since we are navigating an already volatile international market held hostage by the Russia-Ukraine war. India, which accounts for 40 percent of world rice export, has already banned export of rice to other countries, including Bangladesh, fearing a production fall following a late start to seasonal monsoon rains. Our government must take urgent stock of the situation and take effective measures to ensure there is no disruption in the supply of essential food items in the coming days. Equally important is to ease farmers' concerns and sufferings at this time of great uncertainty by providing them with technical and financial support.

We also need to conduct reliable research on how El Nino and climate change will impact crop cycles in the future, and come up with heat-resistant varieties that can survive and thrive in erratic weather. As the world tumbles further down the hole of climate change, there can be no alternative to building our own capacities to sustain our crops and ensure food sovereignty for our population.
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[Saif]

Project to modernise farming must work

Farmers need to be motivated and given necessary tools on time

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Project to modernise farming must work​

Farmers need to be motivated and given necessary tools on time

VISUAL: STAR

There is no question that the government's project to introduce integrated farming, using modern agricultural tools, is a farsighted initiative. In order to ensure higher yields, mechanisation of farming and cultivating larger plots of land are essential. The traditional farming of fragmented plots is not economically viable because it is not cost-effective to use mechanised farming on separate plots. Thus, some sort of consolidation of land is necessary to make this TK 3,020-crore project work. That is, however, proving difficult to implement. The project has reportedly encountered major bottlenecks in the form of farmers' reluctance to adopt the synchronised farming method.

As a result, a good policy initiative is finding no headway even after two years. One can imagine that the basic groundwork for getting all the farmers on board with this initiative, which was undertaken in 2021, has not been properly done.​

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The main idea behind the project is to boost crop production as well as reduce the cost of farming by using transplanters, harvesters and other equipment on 50 to 60 acres of land. But farmers are not eager to do away with the aisles separating their plots, which is a prerequisite for the project to work. While the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has demonstrated how this synchronised farming can be done with good results, by cultivating the hybrid SL-8 variety of Boro on 110 blocks in 61 districts, somehow farmers are still not fully convinced.

The Daily Star's report on this cites farmers in Tangail who alleged that they were ready to form groups among themselves and adopt the mechanised farming method, but they had not received the necessary equipment. The plan is to sell 51,300 machines among farmers at 50-70 percent discounts with subsidies, but as of December 2022, only 16,236 were distributed. This is a major gap and must be addressed immediately.


Having sufficient dialogue with the farmers to motivate them to remove the separating aisles in their plots and adopt this new method is vital. Farmers should be made to understand how efficient and cost-effective mechanised farming can be. This will ultimately lead to greater profits for them. Apart from a vigorous awareness campaign involving all stakeholders, the government must ensure that the farmers receive the various mechanised tools on time and with adequate training on how to use them. To gain their trust in the project, it must ensure that farmers' land rights are in no way jeopardised.
We urge the authorities to reinvigorate the project's implementation with full force. We need reforms like this in our agriculture to ensure our future food security and give our farmers the returns they so deserve for feeding the nation with their arduous efforts. Successful implementation of this project is therefore crucial.
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[Saif]

FBCCI focuses on supplying high-yielding seeds at an affordable cost to farmers

The Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) said on Wednesday that there is an urgent need to ensure quality seeds and modern storage facilities to increase agricultural production. FBCCI president Mahbubul Alam said this while speaking at a discussion meeting of the stan

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

FBCCI focuses on supplying high-yielding seeds at an affordable cost to farmers​

UNB​

Published :​

Mar 20, 2024 21:07

Updated :​

Mar 20, 2024 21:07

The Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) said on Wednesday that there is an urgent need to ensure quality seeds and modern storage facilities to increase agricultural production.

FBCCI president Mahbubul Alam said this while speaking at a discussion meeting of the standing committee on agriculture, agro-processing and agro-based industries at FBCCI’s Motijheel office on Wednesday.

He said that to achieve the desired productivity in agriculture, businessmen of this sector have given special importance to the availability of good quality high-yielding seeds at the farmer level, strengthening the food innovation process and climate-tolerant varieties and research.

Besides, businessmen emphasised agricultural mechanisation, establishment of specialised cold storage facilities, an improved supply system and processing of agricultural products to reduce production costs.

“We need to focus on research to improve seed quality. Also, more attention should be paid to the use of technology. As technology improves in agriculture, productivity will increase,” said the FBCCI president.

He said that farmers should be assured of getting a fair price of produce while policies should be implemented to protect their interests.

Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, chairman of the committee and chairman of Pran RFL Group, highlighted the importance of ensuring maximum utilisation of agricultural land and increasing productivity keeping in mind of future food security and growing demand.

Apart from traditional crops, he suggested increasing the production of horticulture, fisheries, livestock, and poultry including pulses and oilseeds.​

 

[Saif]

‘Ensuring technology to boost agri products’

Breaking News, International News & Multimedia

thedailynewnation.com

‘Ensuring technology to boost agri products’​

21 Mar 2024, 12:00 am0
Staff Reporter :

In a bid to achieve an agricultural productivity boost, businessmen and analysts have stressed the availability of improved varieties of seeds at the farmer level.

They also said that strengthening the food innovation process for high-yielding and climate-tolerant varieties, and conducting research have been given special importance in the agricultural sector.

Besides, they also emphasised agricultural mechanisation, the establishment of specialised cold storage, an improved supply system, and the processing of agricultural products to reduce production costs.

The panel discussed these issues in a meeting of the standing committee on agriculture, agro-processing, and agro-based industries at FBCCI’s Motijheel office on Wednesday.

Addressing the chief guest at the meeting, FBCCI President Mahbubul Alam said that the most important thing in the development of agriculture is quality and advanced varieties of seeds.

” We need to focus on research to improve seed quality. Also, more attention should be paid to the use of technology.

As technology improves in agriculture, productivity will increase.” said Mahbubul.

He placed special importance on’building a cool-chain network’ across the country to prevent wastage of agricultural products at various stages, from production to marketing.

Calling for a change in the mentality of the farmers, the FBCCI president said that the farmers should get a fair price for their produce.

Policies should be implemented to protect their interests.

FBCCI senior vice president Md. Amin Helaly urged everyone to adopt short-, medium-, and long-term plans centred on agriculture to ensure sustainable development.

Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, chairman of the committee and chairman of PRAN-RFL Group, highlighted the importance of ensuring maximum utilisation of agricultural land and increasing productivity, keeping in mind future food security and increasing demand.

He further suggested focusing on increasing the production of crops like horticulture, fisheries, livestock, and poultry, along with pulses and oilseeds, in addition to traditional crops.

FBCCI panel advisor and prominent media personality Shykh Seraj said, “It is necessary to create a crop calendar in the country to increase agricultural productivity and ensure farmers get fair prices.”

He suggested the formation of farmers’ associations to identify and solve farmers’ problems.

Shykh Seraj called for public-private joint initiatives to implement compliance and GAP (good agricultural practices) in the value addition, processing, and export of agricultural products.

The director-in-charge of the committee and director of FBCCI, Mohammad Ishaqul Hossain Sweet, called for specific suggestions and recommendations in written form to the committee members to find solutions to the challenges and solutions of the agriculture sector.​

 

[Saif]

BD targets ambitious 5.81m tonne maize output after record yield

Rocketing demand for maize from the feed and food-processing industries is driving the continued expansion of the cereal crop's farming across the country, with production reaching an all-time high in the last financial year. Maize production reached a record 4.55 million tonnes in the last FY,

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

BD targets ambitious 5.81m tonne maize output after record yield​

YASIR WARDAD

Published :​

Mar 25, 2024 00:49

Updated :​

Mar 25, 2024 00:49

Rocketing demand for maize from the feed and food-processing industries is driving the continued expansion of the cereal crop's farming across the country, with production reaching an all-time high in the last financial year.

Maize production reached a record 4.55 million tonnes in the last FY, cultivated on over 0.5 million hectares of land across both winter and summer seasons, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

However, this local production is proving insufficient, with traders also importing large volumes of maize annually to meet demand.

The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) is ambitious for the current season, setting a target to harvest a record-breaking 5.81 million tonnes of maize from 0.543 million hectares.

"For the ongoing Rabi [winter] season, our target was to cultivate maize on 0.524 million hectares, but farmers have exceeded expectations by planting on 0.543 million hectares," said Dr Tajul Islam Patwary, Director of the DAE Field Service Wing.

He said the climate is so well-suited to maize that they expect production to even surpass 5.8 million tonnes. Harvesting has already begun (around 4 per cent complete) and will continue until June.

Dr Golam Faruq, director general of the Bangladesh Wheat and Maize Research Institute, pointed to the high prices for maize amid surging demand from the feed industry, currently exceeding Tk 34 per kg.

"Maize production offers farmers a minimum profit margin of 60 per cent, which has incentivised many to switch from crops like potato, vegetables and even rice to maize cultivation in the northern, northwestern, southwestern and central regions of the country over the past five years," said Dr Faruq.

The Feed Industries Association of Bangladesh President Shamsul Arefin Khaled elaborated on maize use, saying that 50-60 per cent of the local agri output is used in poultry feed, with another 12 per cent going to animal feed.

"Beyond the feed industry, the confectionery, hotel and restaurant sectors are also significant consumers of maize," he added.

Maize produced in Bangladesh is favoured by local industries for its superior quality, according to Mr Khaled, encouraging efforts to source as much maize as possible from domestic markets.

Maize silage -- a fermented livestock feed replacing traditional grass -- has grown in popularity.

Mr Khaled said silage can reduce grain feed requirements by up to 30 per cent. Besides, 10-15 per cent of maize is allocated for the fish feed industry.

He said while domestic maize production has increased fivefold in the past fifteen years, demand has grown even faster.

To meet the rising demand of 6.0-6.5 million tonnes, private companies also require imported maize. According to the Plant Quarantine Wing, private importers brought in 2.0 to 2.4 million tonnes of maize over the last five years.

Farm economist Professor Golam Hafiz Kennedy traced the origins of maize cultivation in Bangladesh to the 1990s, following the expansion of the poultry industry.

He highlighted how the production of maize, jute, meat and milk has enormously contributed to improving living standards for local farmers.

Maize cultivation, in particular, has emerged as a pivotal factor in alleviating poverty among farmers in the northern and southwestern regions, said Professor Kennedy.

He provided an example: farmers in Nilphamari can earn Tk 40,000 to Tk 42,000 from selling maize grown on 33 decimals of land, with a maximum investment of Tk 16,000.

Such profits are difficult with other crops.

However, Professor Kennedy cautioned that a drop in demand from the feed industry can sometimes bring hardship to farmers.

Sadid Jamil, managing director of Metal, an agro-machinery company, said the availability of modern equipment for land preparation, harvesting and shelling has further encouraged farmers to cultivate maize.

Farmers now harvest maize using combine harvesters and then extract kernels from the cobs using modern maize shellers, said the Metal MD.

He added that maize shellers have reduced threshing costs by 80 per cent in most regions.​

 

[Saif]

Mango buds bloom in abundance

Mango buds on trees are in abundance in Thakurgaon following a favourable weather, showing a bright prospect for a good yield of the juicy summer fruit.

www.thedailystar.net

Mango buds bloom in abundance

Mango buds on trees are in abundance in Thakurgaon following a favourable weather, showing a bright prospect for a good yield of the juicy summer fruit.

Visiting mango orchards in different areas of the district, this correspondent observed yellowish mango buds are adorning the branches, while the fragrance fills up the air in and around the orchards.

Mango is being cultivated in orchards on 7,950 acres of land in the district this year, including 1,465.9 acres in Sadar upazila, 2,981.8 acres in Pirganj, 1,078.94 acres in Baliadangi, 1,767 acres in Ranishankoil and 662.39 acres in Haripur upazila, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).

Buds started appearing in the trees in the middle of winter. Usually, budding begins in mid-January and continues till Mid-March.

Last year, about 42,680 tonnes of mangoes of over 20 varieties were produced in the district, DAE sources said.

The most prominent mango varieties cultivated in Thakurgaon are Surjapuri, Fazli, Amrapali, Misribhog, Haribhanga, Bandigori and Ashwina.

Abdur Rahim, 55, of Bara Palashbari village under Baliadangi upazila, has a 33-acre mango orchard.

"On an average, Tk 30,000 is needed to cultivate mango for per acre of land to get a yield of around 200-250 maunds," he said, adding that last year he earned a profit of Tk 1.7 lakh per acre.

"The trees are bearing more buds than last year," said Rahim.

Mango traders from different parts of the country including Dhaka are already signing up agreements with mango growers in the district and making handsome advance payments, he informed.

Sirajul Islam, deputy director of DAE in Thakuraon said, "With the onset of spring, the temperature is rising favourably in the region, which is necessary for the buds to transform to fruits."​