Presented by Tahmina Begum, Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension, Ministry of Agriculture, Bangladesh Revitalizing the Ganges Coastal Zone Conference 21-23 October 2014, Dhaka, Bangladesh http://waterandfood.org/ganges-conference/

1. Welcome
to
the
presentation
on

2. Overall
Agricultural
Extension
Activities
of
the
Department
Of
Agricultural
Extension
(DAE)
in
the
Southern
Ganges
Basin
of
Bangladesh,
Past
&
Present
activities,
Future
Plan,
What
are
the
Technology,
Policy
&
Socio-­‐Economic
requirements
for
improving
Productivity
and
Food
Security
of
the
Southern
Ganges
Basin
of
Bangladesh.
Tahmina
Begum
Deputy
Director
(WM)
&
Project
Director,
Blue
gold
DAE,
MOA,
Bangladesh.

3. DAE
Outline
of
the
Presentation
§
Introduction
§
Salient
features
of
Agriculture
in
the
Southern
Ganges
Basin
of
Bangladesh
§
Overall
Extension
Activities
of
DAE
in
the
Southern
Ganges
Basin
of
Bangladesh
§
Future
Plan
&
Challenges
ahead
§
Technology,
Policy
&
Socio-­‐Economic
requirements
for
improving
Productivity
and
Food
Security
.
§ Limitations
§ Conclusions

4. Bangladesh
Location
of
Bangladesh
In
ASIA

5. DAE
The
Department
of
Agricultural
Extension
(DAE)
is
the
largest
public
sector
extension
service
provider
with
considerable
human
&
other
resources
along
with
countrywide
network
in
Bangladesh.
DAE
Its
main

6. DAE
DAE
Farmers
&
Other
Beneficiaries
BRRI,
BARI,
BINA,
BARC,
&
other
research
org.
(Prod.
Tech.)
DAE’s
system
of
Activities

7. DAE
“ To provide efficient and effective need
based extension services to all categories
of farmers, to enable them to optimize
their use of resources, in order to
promote sustainable agricultural and socio-
economic development.”
As Policy matter as well as
Motivational work.
The Mission of DAE

8. DAE
Two
main
aspects
of
Crop
Production
Ø
Horizontal
growth
&
Ø
Vertical
growth
Area
expansion
More
Production
/
Unit
area

9. DAE
For
decades,
Extension
services
mainly
address
to
increase
the
‘HYV
area’
and
‘yield
per
unit
area’
of
the
‘Rice
&
other
cereal
crops
to
feed
the
Nation.
To
get
safe
harvest
the
thrust
had
been
given
to
the
Northern
Region.
Consequently,
the
granary
had
shifted
from
south
to
North.
”
ধান
নদী
খাল
এ
B
তে
বিরশাল”

10. — Over the last decades cereal production has
increased from about 10 million tons in 1970s to
more than 30 million tons in 2008.
— Now Annual production is about 33.54 million M.
tons.
— Despite population increased from 75 to 150
million, Bangladesh is (almost) self sufficient in
food grains.
— We have achieved much but still we have
more challenges for sustainable production:

11. Ø
Floods
Ø Droughts
Ø River
Bank
Erosion
Ø Salinity
intrusion
Ø Cyclone
and
storm
surge
The
challenges
are:
DAE
Ø Salinity
increase
in
Soil
&
Water

12. DAE
Salient Features of Agriculture in Coastal Region:
§ Predominantly Single cropped (50%) & double Cropped
(40%)
§ Cropping intensity 133% (National Av 191%)
§ Mainly subsistence farming
§ Inadequate agro-processing technologies
§ Mainly non-mechanized farming (Except Tillage &
threshing)
§ Fragmented land/plots
§ Depends largely on nature (T aman/Aus)
§ Less scope for horizontal growth
• July-August is the lowest saline concentration months
• March-April is the highest saline concentration months.

13. DAE
Past
activities
The
intervention
was
mainly
to
increase
Cereal
crop
production
through
Demonstration-­‐
introduction
of
HYV
,
fertilizer
&
pesticide
free
of
cost.
Provide
training
to
farmers
through
Fortnightly
door
to
door
Training
&
Visit
(T&V)
method.

14. DAE
Present
Extension
Activities
of
DAE
in
the
Southern
Ganges
Basin
of
Bangladesh
Crop Diversification
Group Approach

15. DAE
Training
• Provide
update
training
on
technologies
to
the
field
extension
personnel.
As
well
as
farmers
through
‘learning
by
doing’
in
group
approach
(Farmer
Field
School
(FFS).
learning
by
doing
Group
dynamics
in
a
FFS
session
learning
by
doing

16. DAE
Along
with
all
the
Crop
related
research
and
technology
development
organizations
DAE
is
also
addressing
the
Issues
of
-­‐
Salinity
-­‐
Draughts
-­‐
Flood
-­‐
Water
log
to
crop
production

17. Saline
tolerant
rice
variety
:
BRRI
dhan40,
BRRI
dhan47,
BRRIdhan53,
BRRIdhan54,
BRRI
dhan
55,
BRRI
dhan
61,
BINA
dhan-­‐
8,
BINA
dhan-­‐
10
Short
duraDon
rice:
BINA
dhan
7
Late
rice
variety:
BR23
Cropping
paIern:
T.Aman-­‐Kheshari-­‐Fallow,
T.Aman-­‐pumpkin-­‐
Seasame/Mungbean
Rice+
Fish
+
Fallow
Saline
tolerant
fruits
:
Sapota,
lemon,
Jujube,etc.
Introduce

18. Extent
Indigenous
InnovaDve
pracDces:
Sorjan,
mulching,
etc.
Other
crops:
wheat
(BARI
gom
25),
sunflower,
soybean
Less
water
loving
crops:
mungbean,
kheshari
,
mustard,
etc
Water
management:
Mini
pond
for
supplementary
irrigaDon
during
drought
spells,
dry
seed
bed
Vegetable:
Spinach
,
turnip,
tomato,
water
melon
High
value
crops:
Summer
Tomato
Soil
improvement:
Green
manure,
FYM,
vermi-­‐compost,
etc
Suitable
Agri.
Machinery:
Power
Tiller,
Tractor,
Reaper,
Transplanter,
Thrasher,
etc.
Cont’d

19. Saline
Tolerant
Rice
Variety
BRRI
dhan
55
culDvaDon
Rice
crop
(BRRI
Dhan-­‐49)
followed
by
Khesari
Pictorial
presentaDon
of
technology
for
saline
prone
areas
Wheat
culDvaDon
(Less
water
loving
)
Short
duraDon
Rice
BINA
7

20. Technology
for
saline
prone
areas
Zero
Dllage
Potato
CulDvaDon
by
Mulching
Zeor
Dllage
Kheshari
culDvaDon
Water
melon
culDvaDon
Pumpkin
culDvaDon

21. Fruit
garden
(Malta
)
Inter
cropping
in
fruit
garden
Technology
for
saline
prone
areas…..
Sunflower
culDvaDon
Maize
culDvaDon
as
alternate
crop

22. Hybrid
Maize
culDvaDon
Vegetable
Cultivation
with
less
water
Control
of
saline
water
intrusion
from
the
river
in
the
last
February
Intercropping
Technology
for
saline
prone
areas

23. Vegetable
culDvaDon
in
gher
bund
Vegetable
culDvaDon
in
gher
bund
Vegetable
culDvaDon
in
gher
bund
Gher
CulDvaDon
for
saline
prone
areas
Vegetable
culDvaDon
in
gher
bund

24. Farm
Yard
manure
(FYM)
Vermi
-­‐compost
FYM
and
vegetable
culDvaDon
Suitable
adaptaDon
technology
for
saline
prone
areas
Bio-­‐gas
plant

25. Vegetable
culDvaDon
in
Sorjan
(raised
bed)
Suitable
adaptaDon
technology
for
water
logged
areas
Floating
bed
Aroid
culDvaDon

26. Mini
pond
for
supplementary
irrigaDon
Chick
pea
culDvaDon
(
less
water
loving
crop)
Alternate
wehng
and
Drying
(AWD)
Jujube
culDvaDon
AdaptaDon
technology
for
drought
prone
areas

27. IrrigaDon
through
fita
pipe
AdaptaDon
technology
for
drought
prone
areas
Rain
water
conservaDon
in
mini
pond
for
irrigaDon
for
dry
season
Dry
seed
bed
Mulch
for
soil
moisture
conservaDon

28. Ground
nut
culDvaDon
in
char
land
Maize
culDvaDon
as
alternate
crop
Mustard
culDvaDon
Suitable
adaptaDon
technology
for
flood
/flash
flood
prone
areas
Mung
bean
culDvaDon

29. Farm
machinery

30. Mushroom
culDvaDon
(alternaDve
crop)
Income
&
employment
for
women
Year
Round
Drum
Stick
(Maringa)
Cultivation
Seed
storage
Improve
stove,

31. Integrated
Homestead
Farming

32. DAE
• To
create
awareness
about
new
Technologies
&
to
disseminate
DAE
Organize
Agril.
Fair

33. DAE
• Organize
Successful
farmers
(IPM/ICM/CIGS)
clubs.

34. DAE
• Successful
farmers
(IPM/ICM/CIGS)
clubs.

35. DAE
Scope
ahead
•
Current
fallow
land
170,000
he
•
Single
cropped
area
825,000
he
•
Out
of
68845
ha
of
land
on
the
bank
of
Ghers
&
ponds
23944
ha
is
still
not
under
cultivation.
•
Local
variety
may
be
brought
under
HYV.
•
Floating
garden
in
the
Long
time
Water
logged
area
with
water
hyacinth.
•
Utilization
of
Homestead
area
•
Reduction
of
Post
harvest
&
Storage
loss

36. DAE
Future
Plan
Increase
Cropping
Intensity
by
bringing
Single/
double
cropped
area
in
to
multiple
crops
§ Enhance
mixed
crop
cultivation
§
Fallow
land
under
cultivation
§
Increase
High
value
crop
cultivation
&
value
chain
mgt,
§
Special
emphasis
will
be
given
to
cultivate
on
the
banks
of
Ponds
&
Ghers.
§
Expand
Cultivation
of
vegetables
&
spices
on
Floating
garden
on
water
logged
hyacinth.
§
Expansion
of
‘Kandi’
or
Shorjon
cultivation
in
low
lying
area.

37. DAE
§ Expansion
of
drought/
saline
tolerant
varieties.
§
Emphasize
on
spice
cultivation.
§ Use
of
homestead
area
for
seasonal
vegetables
&
fruit
cultivation.
§
Reduce
loss
at
post
harvest
activities
and
at
storage.
§
Support
mechanized
cultivation
.
§ Judicial
use
of
irrigation
water
through
water-­‐
smart
technologies
§
AWD
(not
for
saline
areas)
Cont’d

38. DAE
Technology,
Policy
&
Socio-­‐Economic
requirements
For
improving
Productivity
and
Food
Security
of
the
Southern
Ganges
Basin
of
Bangladesh.
• There
are
some
Technologies
addressing
salinity,
water
log,
draught,
flood
which
are
not
sufficient
to
cope
with
the
continuous
changing
climatic
condition.
Need
to
•
Conduct
more
research
on
different
tolerant
variety
development
•
HYV
Aus
to
shift
Local
Aus
•
Heat
&
Saline
tolerant
Wheat
variety.

39. • Cannels
&
natural
water
reservoirs
silted
up.
• Irrigation
equipment
e.g.,
buried
pipe,
LLP
•
Trial
for
shallow
aquifer
irrigation
water.
•
Solar
maintained
Irrigation
equipment.
• Need to develop more linkage and cooperation with
agricultural research institutions, education institutes and
extensions.
•
Collective
effort
to
face
the
coming
challenges

40. DAE
Related
activities:
Ø Short
duration
saline
tolerant
crops/
varieties
Ø Excava'on
or
re-­‐excava'on
of
ponds,
channels/canals,
ditches,
mini-­‐pond
as
Water
Reservoir
.
Ø Maintenance
&
management
of
sluice
gate
Ø
Making
of
Water
Reservoir
to
harvest
rain/
monsoon
water
for
dry
season.
Ø Improvement
of
Irrigation
&
drainage
capacity.
Ø Introduction
of
‘Solar
Irrigation
equipments.

41. DAE
Challenges:
o
Coordination
o
Transparency
o
Time
bound
o
Saline
tolerant
crops/
varieties
o
Irrigation
availability

42. Conclusion
For
Sustainable
Food
security
&
Socio
economic
development
NEED
policy
support
and
appropriate
technological
packages.

43. Thanks
for
your
attention
For
further
information
please
contact
kbdtahmina@gmail.com