Access to Agriculture Extension Services of Marginalized Farmers

This is original a research paper that has been presented in the second national convention “Role of State and People’s in ensuring the Civic Rights in the Government Services” held 3rd May 2013 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, organized by OXFAM and six national partners BITA, BSDO, Pollisree, SDS, ZIBIKA and funded by European Union

Project: “Strengthening NSAs to claim rights and services for extreme marginalized and socially excluded communities of Bangladesh”

Submitted to

Oxfam GB, Bangladesh

Submitted by

Md. A. Halim Miah, M.Phil. in Anthropology, PgD in Youth in Development Work, Commonwealth Youth Program

Freelance Consultant

Date: 5 March 2013

Contact

House# 31, Road# Taherbag Lane Post-Nababpur, Dhaka-1100Email: halimsbsp@yahoo.com

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1. Introduction

Bangladesh had made tremendous progress in economic and social sectors. Positive images are being portrayed in some world renowned magazines and even world renowned economy research Goldman Sachs sees Bangladesh the “Next-11”, countries who have the potential to become major economies. It is very close to attaining in some national target of MDGs like poverty reduction, primary school enrolment, reducing gender parity in both primary and secondary grade, safe drinking water and hygienic latrine as environmental sustainability and in increasing life expectancy. However its investment in the poverty reduction, health and agriculture sector are lower than other neighbouring and lower income countries in terms of its GDP but progress are very positive (2% for Social Safety Net, on education 2.2% and health 3.5%).

In poverty reduction it has very close to halving the population stands at upper poverty line from 1990. Since the early 1990s, the Bangladesh economy has grown at over 5 per cent annually. GDP/capita increased from $ 211/capita in 1973 to $ 554 /capita in 2007/2008 and poverty declined from 75 percent in the mid-1970s to 40 percent in 2005 and 31.5 percent in 2010. Agriculture claims bigger share of country’s over all economy like share in GDP, employment and social and other non economic issues. However its contribution in GDP and employment opportunity had reduced from 48% to 21% and employment from 85% to 48% respectively but still it is the major employment sector for our rural economy where more than sixty percent of its people live on it. Since 1990s Bangladesh agriculture has made tremendous progress mainly in rice production, production has tripled from 10 million MT in 1970 to more than 30 million, from a food deficit country to a food surplus country!

Bangladesh agriculture has legacy of over population, a very limited size of cultivable alluvial land estimated at 14.7 million hector. After independence cultivable land has remained almost same with minimal inclusion of forest and hills through environmental degradation. In a nationally representative agricultural survey conducted in 2008 shows that those hhs who did not have any kinds of land is 4%, 29% did not have any cultivable land and 59% had less than 0.2 hector land.

Agriculture, food security and availing agro related services depend on dimension of cultivable land distribution. The proportion of the marginal farmers (owning up to 0.40 ha) has risen from about 36 percent in 1988 to 52 percent in 2007. It implies that, farmers have been leading livelihoods by renting –in land from others. Alike the group as called functionally landless with tiny farm holdings-comprising 33-35 percent of all farmers. Since 1970s most of the production increases has come from higher yields and from cultivating land more intensively (cropping intensity increased from 145 percent in the 1970s to 175 in the year 200s). Over 70% of net cultivated area are irrigated which were only7% in the year 1970s. Average rice yield increased 1.0 ton/ha to 2.6 t/ha from the year 1970s to mid -2000s. This achievement came from our marginal and functionally landless farmers as almost 90% of our farmers cultivate less than one hectare of land. Therefore these micro farms and their entrepreneurs called as landless, share croppers or marginal are the main drivers of our food security and maintaining a large of our GDP’s. Country should repay for their labour, money, mental and material investment.

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A number of studies revealed that public expenditure may contribute to poverty reduction (Fan et al. 2000 a; Fan et. al. 2000b). Public expenditure in Bangladesh is generally recognised to be lower than its demand for economic development (CPD 2010). It is as a share of GDP remained roughly around 14 percent for most of the previous decade play an important role in is measured as the government priority on the sector. Sectors which are beneficial for ultra poor are identified through Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) analysis (CIRDAP 1997) and among those top five sectors include: education, health, social services, food and agriculture. The share of these five sectors in total public expenditure increased from 39.4% in FY2001-02 to 49.7% in FY2009-10. The share of these sectors in total development expenditure is even higher and rising, from 57.1% in FY2001-02 to 66.3% in FY2009-10 (CPD and BRAC 2012). However since the beginning of last decade country’s subsidies in agriculture risen from 100 crore in 2001-2002 to 5789 crore in the year 2008-09 and again gradually falling down from the year 2009-10 from 4950 crore to 4000 crore in 2010-11 and onwards.

Country’s public expenditure is 12% of agricultural GDP’s and including other implicit and explicit subsidies (Like Gas for fertilizer, and subsidized diesel sale) in total 16% of agricultural GDP, which is commensurate with spending levels countries of similar income but these mostly skewed to some input level (PIER-1, 2010). Different studies revealed that a large amount of public expenditure does not reach to the hands of poor and poorest (Narayan and Zaman 2009; Sobhan 2010; Rahman and Kabir 2010; Parvin, Jhinuk 2011).

In the pre-industrial stage of country’s development agriculture plays vital role. A large part of non-farm activity in rural areas, at the early stage of industrialization particularly in rural areas and for sending urban labour in low wages which is main driver for development of processing industries in developing countries depend on the resources of small and medium farmers as most of their non food expenditure are produced in rural non farm sectors (Mellor 1976; King and Byerlee 1978; Hazell and Roell 1983). This larger group of farmers’ population, in Bangladesh who cultivate major portion of land, produce food and contributing not only lion part of agriculture sectors but enhancing rural non farm activities including small and medium enterprises are very lacked in services essential for the production and food security of the nation.

2. Rational & Background:Oxfam GB is implementing “Strengthening NSAs to claim rights and services for extreme marginalized and socially excluded communities of Bangladesh” since September 2010. The project is being implemented in 110 Unions 18 Municipality Wards, and 25 City Corporation wards villages of seven districts (Dinajpur, Naogaon, Kurigram, Shariatpur, Chittagong, Noakhali and Laxmipur) with support of five partner NGOs forming 153 Union Development Committees (UDC) and 1225 Non State Actors (NSA) who are closely working with UDCs to influence local GoB agencies.

The project is aimed to achieve “The rights, entitlements and services of the local agricultural services of the farmers and access to khash land and natural & common resources”. It has been revealed that in the project areas peasants, local producers and farmers (sharecroppers) do not have the access in to local agricultural services, natural resources, local market and decision making process. Local power holders, big farmers and market syndicates control all the available local resources, services and markets. Consultation and dialogues with the policy implementers at sub national level urged persisting problems need to be addressed where there

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is required to influence policy makers and reviewed existing policy and to adopt new policy in favour of small farmers and producer groups.

This paper has developed on the issue of “Implementation gaps and opportunities of agricultural Services for marginal peasants and farmers in rural Bangladesh”.

The main objective of this paper is get the interest of policy planners, local and national civil society leaders, influential actors and other related stakeholders to take the initiative for policy influence (if needed) and to bridge the gap at local level and to make agricultural extension department more sensitive to the marginalise farmers and producers. These initiatives will improve the quality of service delivery mechanism and produce best practice models, and be recognised as model of accountability and transparency by stakeholders at different levels.

The specific objectives of this paper: To identify the existing services and the gaps of the services. The existing policy and its limitations of the ongoing services The attitude and the culture of the local agricultural extension offices and access of

marginalized peasants. The local power-structure and the politics involved with local agricultural services which

create hindrance for the poor and marginalise farmers and women producer groups. How UDC and NSA, Upazila/Municipality Development Forum and District Civil Society

Forum can play a vital role to access the local agricultural services for the poor, marginalise and women producers groups.

The gender role and work diversity and discrimination of accessing the services of agricultural services will be discovered

Come out with an Advocacy strategy to the private and public sector to replicate the model.

Study Methodology:

Data Sources

Mainly from the working area of the project (Shariatpur) where UDCs are working as grass roots advocate for creating access to agricultural services through negotiating, lobbing and raising the voices of marginalized, landless and women farmers including others socially excluded issue.

Community Based Survey report as public opinion about existing agricultural extension services

Public hearing at Unions, Uapzilas and district Interviews of service provider and policy implementers at different service delivery level

3.0 Glimpse of the National Agricultural Policy-1999 and 2009 and New Agricultural Extension Policy 1999

National Agriculture Policy ( NAP) 1999 and draft 2009)

Bangladesh has very limited land resources and considering this reality our policy focus has first and foremost key development issue is the efficient, productive and sustainable use of all firm

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land. The broad objective of the agriculture policy is to facilitate and accelerate technological transformation with a view to becoming self-sufficient in food production and improve the nutritional status of the population. The specific short ad medium term objectives are as follows:

1. To attain self sufficiency in food grains and increase production of other nutritional crops

2. To ensure sustainable agricultural growth through more efficient and balanced use of land water and other resources;

3. To increase foreign exchange earnings through agricultural exports;4. To increase per hectare rice output in order to release more land for other crops,

especially legumes and fodder crops5. To introduce high value cash crops6. To improve the quality and availability of seeds;7. To reduce environmental degradation;8. To increase fish, livestock and forestry production ;9. To conserve an develop forest resources

Broader long term policy objective as follows: To ensure sustainable agricultural development, To introduce high quality , appropriate agricultural technology; To main the ecological balance in the natural environment; To reduce rural poverty To establish export-oriented agro-processing industries; To sustain and balance production, consumption and income

Strategies for attain these objectives are: Establish macro-economic policies that enable formers to be responsive to domestic and

international market opportunities Provide high quality infrastructure and government services that will enable farmers

produce and market products at low cost Private sector involvement in the supply of input Establish policies, regulations and project assistance Ensure research concentrate on the key technical and socio-economic constrained

production Provide appropriate technical and farm management and information to all farmers

through continued improvement to extension and other support services

Goal and Components of the New Agricultural Extension Policy (NAEP)The goal of the NAEP is to: encourage the various partners and agencies within the national agricultural extension system to provide efficient and effective services which complement and reinforce each other, in an effort to increase the efficiency and productivity of agriculture in Bangladesh. To achieve this goal the policy includes the following key components:

1. Extension support to all category of farmers 2. Efficient extension services 3. Decentralisation 4. Demand-led extension 5. Working with groups of all kinds 6. Strengthened extension –research linkage7. Training of extension personnel 8. Appropriate extension methodology

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9. Integrated extension support to farmers 10. Co-ordinated extension activities 11. Integrated environmental support

Table: 01 Stakeholder in the Extension System

Government agencies Private sector 1 Ministry of Agriculture Other Ministries Non Profit Profit making

Organizations2 Department of

Agriculture ExtensionBangladesh Rural Development Board

National NGOs Commercial traders

3 Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation

Bangladesh Water Development Board

International NGOs Wholesalers

4 Department of Forest

Development Partners Manufacturers

5 Department of Livestock Services

UN Agencies Retailers

6 Department of Fisheries

4.0 Critical Review of NAP and NAEP

The following two articles in our constitution directly stated what should be in our policy guiding principals for people’s particularly peasants, still comprised majority of rural population and thus the guided way is still prevailed: Article 14 (Emancipation of peasants and workers): “It shall be a fundamental responsibility of the State to emancipate the toiling masses thepeasants and workers and backward sections of the people from all forms and exploitation”.

Article 16 (Rural development and agricultural revolution):

“The State shall adopt effective measures to bring about a radical transformation in the ruralareas through the promotion of a agricultural revolution, the provision of rural electrification,the development of cottage and other industries, and the improvement of education,communications and public health, in those areas, so as progressively to remove the disparity in the standards of living between the urban and the rules areas”.

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Bangladesh has turned from the “bottom less basket” to a Nations next -11 where one of the achievement is country’s sufficiency in the paddy, a staple cereal production. To achieve this government commitment as policy priority sector have significantly contributed.

Country has two extensive policies particularly focusing agricultural which provide a wider scope to accumulate and create new options, as thus expected merit reflected in these two policies ( Nap and NAEP). Besides subsequently there are other sub-sectoral policies like Livestock and fisheries, National Seed Policy, National Food Policy, National IPM Policy, Fertilizer Management Act, 2009, The Pesticide Act, 2009, Rural Credit Policy, National Water Policy, Water Resources Development Policy and more over Land Policy and National Land Use Policy all are interlinked. By this time government all ready approved Country Investment Policy (CIP). Therefore these two agriculture policies are not stand alone rather which are comprehensive and mutually exclusive. However agriculture it has progress there are still major gaps mainly in the policy implementation level. Is the peasant are the core driver of the Bangladesh agriculture?

Initially of this section rationally pointed out articles of our holy constitution where it has declared again state will take initiatives for emancipation of people’s particularly peasants from all forms exploitation. But is there any reflection in the NAP and even NAEP about the historical context of how these poor and marginalized peasants still are being exploited and deprived from their rights which are spent as the name of public expenditures. Current policies mainly emphasis on production increasing and the normative issues are being highly neglected. Therefore if any policy issues would fail to understand a national socio-political context then it would not be able to count the non economic factors which are main drivers for the development of any state. Production is necessary for growth but who will produce this questioned need to be solved first. In Bangladesh agriculture this is poor peasants and their development need to be considered first rather merely emphasizing only production. If we can think peasants are the centre of agriculture development of Bangladesh then the policy focus will be more realistic and implementation strategy can be designed efficiently.

Is it realistic to gain result from top down management?

Alike other national policies and strategies it is narrowed as thematically and conceptually it has evolved as authoritarian mode of service delivery points where people’s are considered as relief recipients. There are around 18 million farm households in Bangladesh and country though small in land size but ecologically heterogeneity in nature which makes a complex nature and culture as called as typical Bangladeshi agriculture. The people of this soil have had thousand years history of crops and other agriculture. Therefore these “agriculture master” could come as the centred of decentralization of agriculture governance in Bangladesh. But it is very narrowly kept in the hands of some bureaucrats and central government. So there is needed to revisit earlier rural development policies and basis on historical context decentralization of agriculture governance should be extended.

A national study conducted by Agricultural Services Innovation and Reform Project (ASIRP, 2003) revealed that majority of farmers both among male and female are not contact with GO and NGO ESPs. For both male and female farmers, the main source of extension advice is from other farmers, followed by Mass Media and then private organizations (National Extension Coverage Survey, 2003).Around 28% male received at least a ESPs from GO in the last 12 months and it is only 6% from NGOs. Overall 6.3% only among female farmers in Bangladesh

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came into contact of GO services and which is slightly more from NGO, 6.8% in the last 12 months.

Where are women?

However both of the policies (NAP and NAEP) a separate article particularly for women has been entailed, reflected women as policy priority community in Bangladesh agriculture sector. In describing their traditional role their scope, capacity and empowerment issue are portrayed as they are living in the thousands years back society. Therefore in both of the policies who look women in their traditional role of mainly engagement in the post harvest and harvest period only. But in the changing agri- economy where even our small farming many machines have been gulped the women roles like husking machine. Now both poorest men and women operate such local technology harvest time for same works. So the concept of ‘woman works’ and ‘man work’ as typically gender role have been changed. Even sometimes reversed like producing and sales country cakes are being done by male even in the rural streets.

Therefore in the policies should not confined women as their typical role rather revision has to be made how this half of the nation could be mainstreamed into growth without discriminatory approach which mainly derived from the lack of gender sensitivity.

Lack of Policy Implementation

A total number of 32,067,700 hh and its 20% 6.4 millions hh are estimated in residing urban areas. So remaining around 26 million hh are live in rural areas. The current establishment at Block Supervisor who promoted as Sub Assistance Engineer is 12640 with 2360 vacancies. Government has recently approved a DAE proposal to recruit Block Supervisors to full establishment. Government has given high priority in the agricultural policy and therefore a separate policy has been endorsed by the Ministry of Agriculture of GoB. Therefore recruitment of required human resources, equipped them with adequate skills and technology time to time are also very important.

It has revealed that among the twenty participants (14 men and 6 women) none of them ever seen any DAE service providers in the project areas. Alike of this focus group responses different national level studies show a small number of farmers know about agricultural extension services. (Impact Assessment of Credit program for the tenant farmers, BRAC, 2012; National Extension Coverage Survey, December 2003, ASIRP). A study shows that among farm hhs 57.3% males know about DAE services and it is 62.9%, 30.9% and 27.6% respectively for DLS, DoF and FD. When we look this from gender perspective (Male and female ratio is 100.3 for 100 male) where almost women are half of the total population it is very frustrating. Only 18.6% women informed about DAE. It is comparatively better for DLS. Among women 25.3%, 8.8% and 6.9% were informed the services of DLS, DoF and FD respectively.

Table: 02 Farmers Contact (last 12 months) with Main Extension Service Provider

ESP Male farmers in contact( %) including mela

Female farmers in contact (%)

NGO

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BRAC 5.2 2.3Proshika 0.1 0.5Caritas 0.1 0.2GODAE 19.6 (including mela 4.7%) 1.1DLS 10.4 5.0DoF 2.5 0.2FD 0.5 0.3

Source: National Extension Coverage Survey, 2003This study shows strong positive correlation between farm size, male biasness and wealth disparity of extension services. In the wealth category male farmers received at least a service from GO 58% for large farmer which is followed by 39% for medium farmer and among landless only 14% received.

Table: Service Received by Category of Farmer Farm HH Category Received a GO Service (%) Received NGOs Service(%)

Male Female Male FemaleIncome Categories HHs on daily income of below Tk 15

20.6 4.9 6.3 9.2

HHs on daily income of above Tk 59

37.0 6.8 8.5 12.4

Farm Size Categories Landless hhs ( upto 0.49 acres) 14.0 6.3 2.7 5.8

Large farm hhs ( over 7.5 acres) 57.0 8.6 10.2 6.3Source: National Extension Coverage Survey, 2003

NAEP five principles are- extension to all categories of farmers, efficient extension services, demand led extension, working with groups of all kinds and integrated extension support. However NAEP has been place since 1996 and its one of the important principals is extension should be all categories of farmers but in practice it is strongly class and gender bias. It needs to be long drive for move downward.

In this regard Civil Society Engagement is essential for bridging between DAE and Poor, marginalized farmers. Yet our civil society remains far behind for negotiating with relevant policy implementers in favour of poor and marginalized farmers. Once this had have major bargaining issue of political parties and merely agriculture and land less farmers are talked couple of political parties but they do not have strong number of representatives in the policy making or for even influencing policies.

5.0 Towards Pro Poor Agriculture Services: Shariatpur a case study

In this critical context SDS implemented Non State Actors (NSA) and their engagement in favour poor, women and other marginalized and excluded groups for their rights in livelihood options are noteworthy. Survey conducted among 300 poor hhs of four Upazila and its 25 unions shows a distinctive feature of over all agricultural services and people’s perception.

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People, land and economy: The area is situated under the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna river basin region, which is a critical agro-ecological zone. The area is 1182 square km and total population is 1146 thousand where males are 554 and females are 593 thousands respectively. Male female ratio is 93.4 males for 100 females where national ratio is 100.3 for 100 females. It might be due to both internal and external migration of males. The population density is 970 in per squ km. and average hhs size is 4.6 slightly higher than the national and divisional both.

People are predominantly involved in agricultural activities. Most of the areas are submerged under water for six months during rainy season. People’s mobility along with livelihood options squeezed during this period. However during rainy season men who do not non farm activity they do fishing and women do poultry like duck rearing. Jute was once a major economic crop of Bangladesh and this GBM basin produced major portion of quality jute. Therefore both men and women have hard work during the harvest of jute plants. As scarcity of high land, fragility of existing land due to critical ecosystem like river bank erosion the district has very lack of infrastructural development like yet it is alienated from national and capital city by road communication. River vehicles are main transportation for communication with capital and other region. Only 10% people hhs are connected with electrification facility. Bangladesh Small Industries Corporation set a industrial zone where yet most of the plots are barren. A few small industries are operated where an insignificant number of employment are created. In the district there were 227187 hhs where number of farm hhs were163957. Among farm hhs 92.52% were small farm (Agriculture Sample Survey, 2005). Gross cropped area 271652 acres where Aus (local), Aus (HYV), Aman (Local), Aman (HYV), Boro, Wheat and jute grow mainly. Among single cropped area Boro cultivable land is highest which is 53186 acres around 1/5 th of total cultivated area.

In the Shariatpur among the poor and vulnerable hhs most of them live in owned house which average size is 5.3 decimal and cultivable land is around 40 decimal. Majority of them day labours, part time rickshaw and van puller and simultaneously also cultivator of own land ( Baseline, 2012, NSA Project, Oxfam) . It also reveals that among 14 plus years .people 24% male and 79% female are unemployed. Study reveals that only 10% of HHs received various services from the local government and a great majority 70% of the poorest and vulnerable hhs did not go to seek services from local government in the preceding survey year. It might be that unavailability of services or lack of information about the available services at the different local government service delivery points. Data shows that all the among the vulnerable and landless hhs only 8% went to land office to collect information about khas land.

Other national level studies depict this region most vulnerable in terms of food security of the poorest hhs. Almost 50% of the total land is flooded every year because of the concentrated rainfall during the monsoon, which has the evidence of massive crop damage (Framjii 1977, Shahabuddin 1999). Due to climate change situations induced changes of precipitation pattern in terms of delayed or advanced onset and withdrawal of monsoon as well as increased monsoon precipitation would have impact on the flooding characteristics across the basins of Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna river. Thus there might be changes in the timing of peaking in the major rivers resulting increase in the magnitude, frequency, depth, extent and duration of floods.

5.1 Driver of Micro farm and farmers voice

Most of the farmers are typically landless as they posses lower than fifty decimal land. Among the 20 participants there were six women farmers. They opined that this year a good number of

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small farmers did not cultivate ‘Boro’ . The reason behind of avoiding boro cultivation was they did not get ‘fair price’ of their production in the last year and even price of rice per mon is very lower according to them. They also informed that the large land owner do not cultivate land by themselves. They share crop out or lease out the land for a crop a season. They were asked how the production cost could be minimized. They think the following way government could support them which could reduce their production cost: Required Government support:

1. Supplied of electricity for irrigation could reduce the cost 2. Fertilizer, seed and insecticides from government3. Training on modern farming

Table: Per maund paddy production cost, 2013

Input Price ( Tk.) Fertilizer 100 Seed 150 Planting 50 Daily wage 250 Weeding 100Ploughing 100Water 50Total cost for per/ maund 800 tk Government purchasing paddy price/ per maund

550

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Table: Poor farmers perception of agricultural extension services, Opinion survey, Shariatpur, 2012 No. 300

Sl. Area of services Yes % of total Comments / 01 Most of the farmers do not know

agricultural information126 42 Required

improvement02 Inadequate human resources in

extension services 87 29

03 Group contact with farmers comparatively lower in number

102 34 Required improvement

04 Poor farmers are lower contact with agriculture department

288 96 Required improvement

05 Poor farmers do not know about agricultural subsidy

146 49 Required improvement

06 Extension services are lagging behind from modern technology

58 16

07 No farmers school 72 2408 Production cost is higher than sale 292 97 Required

improvement09 The region is vulnerable to natural

hazards 91 30

10 Unavailable of agricultural inputs 105 35 Required improvement

11 Farmers are more willing to purchase seeds instead of preserve by themselves

156 52 Required improvement

According to farmers Opinion survey highest score provided in the eighth row that is “ Production cost is higher than sale price”, which is 97 % followed by “Poor farmers are lower contact with agriculture department”. It is interesting that similar result has been found in the national level survey that Extension Services are less responsive to poor and marginalized farmers. Constrains of women farmersEmpirical information revealed that women are economically marginalized in the community. However they have access to mobility in public places like shopping places but not local green shops in urban areas. However poorest women work as daily labour in the public works under the different SSNPs programs even in the whole sale green market as called hat, during harvest

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work as daily labour in the solvent farmers land for picking vegetables from land and jute stripping but women contribution are not adequately recognized.

Besides in the livestock subsector women have greater contribution in production of chickens, ducks and goats (Hossain and Jaim, January 2011). While it was talking how would be benefited from participating in this sharing meeting, then women peasant replied, they have seldom opportunity to participate such sharing which they felt very important. It has found that all the women participants have bank account but unlikely as male participants. Poorest women those who benefited from SSNPs they have their bank account. Farmers Bank Account a best case of how social patriarchal norms could be translated into national policy formulation! This policy was a clear distinct farming is predominantly men’s occupation in Bangladesh as when we called farmer we portray a man not a woman! Through this card access to government resources of men has acknowledge as producer and farmers but women are excluded as they can not be a farmer. Through this policy government has created another gender disparity.

Identified Agriculture Service Related Problems and recommendations at Upazila Level Public Hearing

Table: Agricultural problems and Policy Priority areas at local level

Identified Problems Policy Areas Responsible Comments O1 Information needs to increased

among farmersExtension Policy Upazila

Extension 02 More employees are needed in

extension services Extension Policy Central

Government 03 Required Cold Storage Agriculture

Policy Central Government

Private Sector can come forward

04 Farmers should be encouraged for use of quality seeds and preserve seeds

05 Farmers should be organized and trained

Extension Policy Upazila

06 Modern technology transfer among farmers through farmers club

Extension Policy Upazila

07 Subsidies should reach in time Extension Policy Central Government

08 Agriculture sector should be more prioritized

Central Government

Private investment should encourage

09 Agri land needs to be preserved from housing

Central Government

10 Traditional way of cultivation needs to drive away

Extension Policy Upazila

11 Organic fertilizer should be Extension Policy Upazila

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popularized among farmers 12 Government should available

modern agricultural inputsExtension Policy Central

Government 12 Attention should be given how

to ensure better price of production

Extension Policy Central Government

13 Barren land acquisition and inclusion it under cultivation

Agricultural Policy

Central Government

Ministry of Land / Ministry of law / Local Government

14 Brick Field should be restricted in agri land

Agricultural Policy / Country Investment Plan

Central Government

Ministry of Commerce

15 More services and inputs should be provided for Marginal farmers

Agriculture Policy/ Extension Policy

Central Government / Upazila

16 Women are needed to provide agricultural supports

Extension Policy Upazila/ Central Government

Women and Child affairs

17 Effective strategy for Climate Change issue in agriculture

Agriculture Policy/ Extension Policy / NAPA

Central Government

Development Partners

18 Lack of value chain and supply chain initiative

Agriculture Policy/ Agriculture Marketing

Upazila/ Central Government

Development partners/ NGOs/ Private sectors

Articulated Recommendations:

Policy Priority Areas

1. Fair Price of Micro Farms

Most of the farmers are marginalized and small farmers and their seed money is very petty therefore if they do not get minimum price of their product then this is really a injustice as they are the people who ensuring food security of the 15 crore people of Bangladesh. Besides based on their activities other rural economy is flourishing. Unlikely it is anymore sectoral issue. Rather its related to poverty reduction, food security and employment of near about half of the population.

2. Initiative for production cost reduction

Extension services should be strengthened among irrespective of farmers. Modern Farming method, mechanization and quality inputs of farming should be available among the farmers. A majority of farming are micro enterprises where real cultivators are landless therefore priority of extension services should be revisited

3. Women farmers farming

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As half of the population is women and gradually women are replaced in the men therefore extension policy as well as agriculture policy should foresight the current trend of male migration, labour shortage in agriculture and high rate during boro cultivation and potentiality of women considering the historical context of women who were actually inventor of planned agriculture. Special Farmers card need to be distributed among the women farmers.

4. Research and extension linkages Crops Intensification research and timely dissemination should give priority considering the recent and emerging challenges of our agriculture ( limited land resource, yearly 1% reduction of cultivable land, growing population and infrastructural development, public amenities development and Climate change issue)

5. Investment in the crops research, diversification, value addition in the arena of non crops are needed to increased

6. Climate adaptive agriculture technology are needed to transfer among peasants

7. Priority in Policy ImplementationA framework and time to time follow up should be strengthened in implementing policy/ policies in the respective development issue otherwise policy will be merely as paper. Country has all ready developed Country Investment Plan which should give priority the food security issue and zero tolerance needs to be employed for violation of any points of this policy when its related to food security

8. Acquisition of uncultivable land and a buffer stock of plan should be developed. This uncultivable land stock could be utilized for crop research and joint farming system

9. Khas land distribution policy should strengthen and a national commission should be formed as emergency basis to redistribute khas land among landless.

10. Credit Facility should be available for landless and small farmers. Public Banks and micro finance organizations should come forward to make available low rate credit facilities during the crops planting season

11. Subsidies are squeezed into a few inputs like fertilizer, and diesel and sometimes in some areas seeds and insecticide are provided in low cost where some special agricultural project is being implemented. Subsidies in agriculture particularly for small farmers through agricultural input, technological supports are big investment which accelerate economic growth as well as reduced poverty. This has direct links with improving local non farm economic activities.

12. An action plan should be executed for better implementation of NAEP. In this process particularly CSOs and Local Government representatives should be incorporated in implementing NAEP at local level. Along with a national steering committee from CSOs can work for review and time to time oversee the progress.

In conclusion I would like quote from Professor Esther Duflo, Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics at MIT. She urged the international community to focus resources on anti-poverty strategies , which are practical and cost effective and based on rigorous evidence. She focused on seven highly effective anti poverty programmes to achieve MDGs. According to her these are referred as “best buys” where no. 7 th “best buy” is Smart Agricultural subsidies. According to her “Simple agriculture technology has a large

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potential to dramatically increase income. Subsidies , which are implemented at the right tinme, can trigger big changes in fostering agriculture at a low cost”.

Annexure:

Data Source Place Tools Participants Ethnographic Model

Shariatpur Opinion Survey among Primary Stakeholder

(300×1)

Quantitative Unions Public Hearings (15×1)Qualitative Dialogues at

Upazila level (60×1)

Different Policy documents

Dialogue in the district level

(01×80)

Policy Briefing and other research documents

FGD (02×7 )

Policy implementer’s interviews Union-Upazila-District

03

Observation of demonstration plot

01

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References

1. “Agriculture Extension In Bangladesh: An Entitlement of All Farmers?” in the Result of a National Extension Coverage Survey, December 2003. Agricultural Services Innovation and Reform Project (ASIRP). www.daebd.org

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