anaymalpani

1. RDRS experiences and learning:
Engaging Women in Agriculture
Program and Seed Production
Md Mamunur Rashid
Sr. Coordinator (Agriculture & Environment)
RDRS Bangladesh, Rangpur

2. Background of RDRS Bangladesh
Formed 1972 amid War of Liberation
to support Bangladeshi refugees in
India then rehabilitate the backward
NW region (Rangpur-Dinajpur = RD)
A Lutheran World Federation program
for our first 25 years. Northern church
agencies have played a key supporting
role throughout
Localized in 1997 as a fully Bangladeshi
organization (with national Board and
Exec Director), continuing as LWF
Associate Program retaining core
values
A large, well-reputed NGO, with
widespread acceptance in the NW

3. District 24
Upazila/Sub District 114
Union 853
City Corporation/Municipalities 40
Total Groups (Approx.) 30,000
Direct Program Participants 37,20,458
Total Union Federation 385
COVERAGE : WORKING AREA

4. RDRS STRATEGY 2017-2022VisionMission
A just and peaceful society
where citizens live in dignity,
freed from poverty, distress
and ignorance in a
sustainable environment.
RDRS works with the people and their organization in order
to build their capacity to advance their empowerment;
create resilience to withstand adversity; and improve access
to opportunities for the poor to realize decent lives free
from poverty and distress.

5. Thematic Area and Priorities
Priorities 1: Active
Citizens, Civil Society,
Gender &
Governance
Priorities-4: Income
Generation, Capacity
Building and
Entrepreneurship
Development
Priorities 2: Health
and Education

6. • Traditionally, women have been major contributors in the
agricultural sector and women are key partners in securing
household food and nutrition security. In fact, agriculture, gender
and food security are interlinked.
• Bangladeshi women face barriers and disadvantages in nearly every
aspect of their lives, including access to health services, economic
opportunity, political participation, and control of finances.
• Women’s empowerment is at the core of all RDRS’s programs,
where we seek to increase female participation, reduce gender
inequality, and raise awareness about the positive impacts of
empowering women and girls throughout society.
• Gender equality exists when women and men have equal access to
opportunities & services, equal control over resources and an equal
say in decisions at all level.
Women in Agriculture Program

7. Strategy to engaging Women in Agriculture Program
Initially it focused on helping individual farmers, subsequently
shifted its approach to working with farmer groups (group based
extension approach)
•Women’s small farmers’ group were set up in 1983
•Formation of Union Federation in 1988
•RDRS adopted Gender Policy in 1995
•Women-led extension method in 1999
•Federation-led quality seed promotion in 2002
Since 2004 RDRS has been following the Farmer Field School (FFS)
approach. Each Union Federation has a farmer forum comprising
representatives of farmers who are members of respective Union
Federations.

8. Social
Service
Center
Grain store
Farmers
Forum
Accounts
Audit
Committee
Membership
Committee
Advocacy
Unit
PT/FS
Group
Union
Fede-
ration
Support
Forum/
Wings
Resources
Committee
General
Committee
Executive
Committee
Youth
forum
Women
forum
Disaster
Managemen
t committee
Arbitration
&
Mediation
Committee
Community
resource
center
Members
Union Federation is a development-oriented non-
political local organization established and led by
disadvantaged rural poor

9. Mainstreaming gender in SRFSI: The strategy
Gender
mainstreaming
Gender
awareness &
sensitisation
Gender
strategy plan/
paper
Gender
inclusive
technology
dissemination
Gender
inclusive
trainingAffirmative
action/
Specifically
targeting
women
Gender
disaggregated
data collection
Monitoring
impacts on
men & women
Gender focal
person

10. Engaging women farmers in seed production:
PETRRA
RDRS was involved in number of PETRRA research and dissemination
sub-projects from 1999 to 2004. Under uptake method research, RDRS
took imitative quality seed promotion with the involvement of 15
Union Federations-an association of poor people. The objective of this
SP was to develop improved rice seed production and marketing.
Key of federation model seed production and
marketing:
Establish seed producer group and seed committee
Train federation-based seed producer groups
Assess market demand for quality seed
Establish federation-based processing, storage and
packaging facilities
Quality control and marketing
Coordination of seed production and marketing

11. Engaging women farmers in seed
production: STRASA
RDRS was involved in STRASA project
from 2008-2019 and disseminate
submergence tolerant rive varieties in
flood prone areas of Northwest region
of Bangladesh. Besides, we promote
short duration and drought tolerant
varieties in limited areas.
RDRS introduced community based rice
seed production approach for wider
dissimilation of submergence tolerant
rice verities with the involvement of
women farmer in Union Federation.

12. Engaging women farmers in seed
production: HarvetPlus Challenges Program
RDRS involved with Delivery of high Zinc Rice in
Bangladesh Project since 15th November 2013
which covered to 32,000 farm families with
direct and seed and training supports.
Through this initiative around 100,000 farm
families have been benefited in last 4 years
with the participation of seed exchange,
attending in Field Day, Courtyard session, and
seed distribution ceremony.
RDRS could manage such implementation
following FFS extension approach and also
support of Union Federation.

13. Farm Advisory
and technology
transfer support
Agri Input sales &
marketing
Output
marketing:
aggregation of
products
Farm machinery
rental
Financial linkage
Core Services of
Farmers Hub: Agri-
entrepreneurs
Union Federation:
-Agri-entrepreneurs selection
-Management of FH
(Governance, operations and
financial)
-Community mobilization
- Forward and backward
linkage
Farmers Hub (Krishi Kendra): Linking farmers to seed
production and marketing
RDRS:
-Assessment and capacity
building of Agri-entrepreneurs
-Provide business capital and
skills
-Linking with value chain players
-Branding guideline and
promotional materials

14. Time line Gross
revenue
Net
Profit
(Tk.)
No. of Customers Types of
Customers
(No.)
Types of
Products
Traded
(No.)
Types of
Services
(No.)
advis
ory
Input Output
Jan-
April’19
3,149,753 131,991 3525 891 673 04 05 03
KPI (Key Performance Indicator)
Types of customer: Small & marginal farmers, local traders, wholesaler and
retailers
Types of product traded: Inputs- Seed & pesticide; Outputs- vegetables, rice,
maize
Types of services: Farm Advisory & technology transfer, inputs, outputs
No of Agri-entrepreneurs: 10 (90) – chosen through mpower-u tool
Types of Business: Input marketing- Agri. inputs sales and Output marketing-
aggregation of products

15. Enabling environments (Uniqueness) of Farmers Hub
Established and registered Farmer Organization/Union Federation
Organized farmers group and well connected with Union Federation
Business experience of Union Federation with good reputation
Entrepreneurs are members of Union Federation and having
minimum captive market (200 farmers/ entrepreneurs)
Proven tools (mpower-u) for entrepreneurs selection with capacity
development support
Business fund from RDRS ME Program and skill from SRFSI
Good relationship with market actors & enablers especially DAE,
pesticide companies, local traders
Long term RDRS commitment for the empowerment of poor
through Union Federation
Synergy with other similar projects & initiatives

16. Thank you