1. 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-1100
Email: halimsbsp@yahoo.com
1 | P a g e

2. 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.
2 | P a g e

3. 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
3 | P a g e

4. 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)
4 | P a g e

5. 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
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 crops
5. To introduce high value cash crops
6. 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 | P a g e

6. 5. Working with groups of all kinds
6. Strengthened extension –research linkage
7. Training of extension personnel
8. Appropriate extension methodology
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
Organizations
2 Department of
Agriculture Extension
Bangladesh 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 the
peasants 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 rural
areas 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”.
6 | P a g e

7. 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
7 | P a g e

8. 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
8 | P a g e

9. BRAC 5.2 2.3
Proshika 0.1 0.5
Caritas 0.1 0.2
GO
DAE 19.6 (including mela 4.7%) 1.1
DLS 10.4 5.0
DoF 2.5 0.2
FD 0.5 0.3
Source: National Extension Coverage Survey, 2003
This 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 Female
Income 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 6.3
Source: 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.
9 | P a g e

10. 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 1/5th
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
10 | P a g e

11. 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 government
3. Training on modern farming
Table: Per maund paddy production cost, 2013
Input Price ( Tk.)
Fertilizer 100
Seed 150
Planting 50
Daily wage 250
Weeding 100
Ploughing 100
Water 50
Total cost for per/ maund 800 tk
Government purchasing paddy
price/ per maund
550
11 | P a g e

12. 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 information
126 42 Required
improvement
02 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 24
08 Production cost is higher than sale 292 97 Required
improvement
09 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 farmers
Empirical 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
12 | P a g e

13. 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 farmers
Extension 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
13 | P a g e

14. popularized among farmers
12 Government should available
modern agricultural inputs
Extension 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
14 | P a g e

15. 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 Implementation
A 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. 7th
“best buy” is
Smart Agricultural subsidies. According to her “Simple agriculture technology has a large
15 | P a g e

16. 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
16 | P a g e

17. 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
2. “Agriculture, Food Security and Social Security: Proposed National Budget 2011-12, An
Analysis”, June 25, 2011. BRAC and Bangladesh Rice Foundation (BRF), Advocacy for
Social Change
3. BBS, July 2011. Population & Housing Census 2011, Preliminary Results, GoB,
www.bbs.gov.bd
4. BBS, January 2009. Statistical Pocket Book of Bangladesh 2008, www.bbs.gov.bd
5. CIRDAP. 1997. Poverty Profile and Sectoral Poverty Alleviation Effects in
Bangladesh : A SAM Based Analysis . Policy Brief No. 6. Dhaka. Centre on Integrated
Rural development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP)
6. CPD.2010. State of the Bangladesh Economy in FY2008-2009 and Outlook for FY2009-
10. Dhaka: Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD)
7. Fan. S Hazell, P and Thorat S. 2000a. “ Government Spending , Growth and poverty in
Rural India”.American Journal of Agricultural Economics,82 (4): 1038-1051
8. Fan S., Zhang, L. ad Zhang, X 2000b.Growth and poverty in Rural China: The Role of
Public Investment. Research Report No. 125. Washington, D.C. : International Food
Policy Research Institute (IFPRI. Available at:
http://www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/publications/rr125.pdf
9. Ghos SC ANMM and RAZA WA Agricultural practices and its relation to poverty and
food security in selected river basins in Bangladesh: a situation analysis. Dhaka:
BRAC,2011. Vi 20p. (RED Working
10. Hazell and Roell 1983 and Johnston and Mellor 1961 in the “ Agricultue, Rural
Development and Pro-Poor Growth, Country Experiences in the Post-Reform Era, ARD-
21, The World Bank (2005)
11. Hossain, Mahabub and Jaim, WMH. January 2011 in the “ Empoweringh Women to
Become Farmer Entrepreneur” in the Conference on New Directions for Smallholder
Agriculture, 24-25 January 2011, Rome, IFAD HQ
12. Hossain, Mahabub. Asaduzzaman, M., Mandal, MA Sattar, Deb, Uttam. And Jones,
Steve May 2009, “Rice Technologies: Strategic Choices and Policy Options”. No.0903,
May 2009, BIDS Policy Brief
13. Hossain, Mahabub et.al November 2012. “ Impact Assessment of Credit Program for the
Tenant Farmers-Baseline Report 2012”, BRAC Research and Evaluation Division
(RED), Dhaka RED
14. Hossain, Mahabub and Bayes, Abdul. 2009. “ Rural Economy and Livelihoods: Insight
from Bangladesh”, AH Development Publishing House (AHDPH), Dhaka
17 | P a g e

18. 15. Informal Summary, Second Committee, 64th
General Assembly, Panel discussion on “
Achieving the MDGs by 2015: Preparing for the 2010 UN MDG Summit”, United
Nations Headquarters, New York, 12 October 2009
16. Khatun F., Khan T.I. and Nabi, A. 2012. “National Budget fore the Ultra Poor- An
Analysis of Allocation and Effectiveness”, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and
Advocacy for Social Change, BRAC
17. New Agriculture Extension Policy (NAEP), GoB, Ministry of Agriculture, 1996,
www.daebd.org
18. National Agriculture Policy , Ministry of Agriculture, GoB, April 1999, www.daebd.org
19. Narayan, A. and Zaman, H.2009 . Breaking Down Poverty in Bangladesh, Dhaka: The
University Press Limited (UPL).
20. PIER-1, 2010, World Bank
21. Parvin, Jhinuk. 2010. “Agriculture Input Assistance Card: Direct Input Subsidy
Disbursement”, Unnayan Onneshan, Dhaka, www. Unnayan.org
22. Rahman , A. and Kabir, M.2010. Redesigning Budgetary Policy to Reach Oublic
Resources to the Poor. CPD-SACESPS Monograph Series 5. Dhaka: Centre for Policy
Dialogue (CPD)
23. Reports of NSA project. 2012. “ Public Dialogue on Agriculture at Union level”,
Shariatpur Development Society, (SDS)
24. Reports of NSA project. 2012. “ Public Dialogue on Agriculture at Upazila level”,
Shariatpur Development Society, (SDS)
25. Reports of NSA project. 2012. “ Public Dialogue on Agriculture at District level”,
Shariatpur Development Society, (SDS)
26. Sobhan, R.2010. Challenging the Injustice of Poverty : Agendas for Inclusive
Development in South Asia. New Delhi: SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd.
18 | P a g e