The document discusses agriculture and rural development in Bangladesh. It covers the following key points: - Agriculture is the primary economic activity in Bangladesh, employing over one third of the workforce. Major crops include rice, jute, tea, and wheat. - Rural development programs in Bangladesh have progressed through different stages, from the British colonial period to modern integrated programs and initiatives by the government and NGOs. - Current government and NGO led initiatives are working to modernize agriculture, provide subsidies, develop climate resilient crops, empower women farmers, and improve rural livelihoods through projects in areas like education, healthcare and infrastructure. - Despite challenges like population growth, land constraints, and climate change impacts,

1. AGRICULTURE AND RURAL
DEVELOPMENT IN
BANGLADESH
Daffodil International University

2. Agriculture
 Agriculture is the cultivation of animals,
plants, and other life forms for food, fiber
and other products used to sustain and
enhance human life.
 The major agricultural products can be
broadly grouped into foods, fibers, fuels,
and raw materials. Specific foods include
grains, vegetables, fruits, oils, meats and
spices.
 Over one third of the world's workers are
employed in agriculture. Until the
Industrial Revolution, the vast majority of
the human population labored in
agriculture.

3. 3
Development Stage of Agriculture
First Stage, Neolithic Age
It is the beginning of sedentary farming. The major technological
development of this ancient time was the plow. Appearing in
Mesopotamia around 4000 B.C., the plow allowed farmers to plant
crops in rows. The tools used in agriculture in this stage:
Plough
Used to cut channels in and turn up the soil, preparing it
for planting.
Hoe: It is a flat blade, variously shaped, set in a long
wooden handle and used primarily for weeding and for
loosening the soil.
Second Stage
After Christopher Columbus's voyages to the New World in the 15th
century. The connecting of the New World and the Old World saw
the exchange of farming products and methods. From the New
World came maize (Indian corn), potato, tomatoes. From the Old
World came wheat, rice, cattle, sheep, goats.

4. 4
Development Stage of Agriculture (Cont.)
Third Stage
The Industrial Revolution contributed to and was supported by
agriculture. The greatest agricultural advances came in
transportation and machineries, where canals, railroads, and then
steamships made possible the shipment of food. New introduced
tools and machineries are:
Tractor: In agriculture, tractor used to pull equipment as
plows, cultivators, and to push earth-moving implements.
Reaper: Early farm machine drawn by draft animals or
tractor and used to harvest grain.
Cultivator: Agricultural implement for stirring and crushing
the soil, to remove weeds and to loosen the soil.
Combine: Combine, agricultural machine that performs
both harvesting and threshing operations.
Final Stage
Scientific advances of the twentieth century—the refrigeration of
meat, the development of hybrid crops, research into genetics—
have greatly benefitted agriculture.

5.  Bangladesh has a primarily agrarian economy.
- Total Farm Holding: 1,51, 83, 183
- Total Cultivable land: 8505278.14 hectare
- Cropping intensity: 191 %
- Total Cropped area: 14.943 million hectare
- 45% labor force, Export value 12%
- Main Crops: Rice, Jute, Tea, Wheat, Maize
Bangladesh fourth largest rice producing country in the world. Almost 90%
population depend on rice. Bangladesh self sufficient in production of food
grain from the year 2012.
(Source: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (2012))
 It is the largest source of employment for skilled and unskilled labor.
About 77 percent of the total population lives in rural areas.
 Agriculture contributes 15.59 percent (FY15) to the country's GDP.
 It is possible to reduce rural poverty and raise the living standard of
people by establishing agriculture as a profitable.
5
Agriculture of Bangladesh: At a Glance

6. 6
Agriculture in GDP
Contribution of Agriculture Sector in GDP of Bangladesh is gradually
declining. GDP growth was 44 percent during 1971-1980 and it fell to
15.59 percent in the 2014-15 Fiscal Year. According to the Bangladesh
Economic Survey and World Bank statistics, the contribution of
agriculture to GDP growth has been declining day by day.
Year Contribution of Agriculture in GDP (%)
1941-1950 70
1951-1960 62
1961-1970 55
1971-1980 44
1981-1990 32
1991-2000 25
2001-2011 18
2013-2014 16.33
2014-2015 15.59
2015-2016 -
Source: World Bank Report and Bangladesh Economic Review

7. Agriculture of Bangladesh: Problems
 Increase of population
 Reduction of agricultural Land
 Agriculture is dependent on the impulse of nature and is risky
 Widespread poverty among the population engaged in agriculture
 Inadequacy of appropriate technology
 Farmers' socio- economic conditions
 Decreasing yields of different crops
 Slow expansion of modern technology
 Absence of efficient farmers' organization at the grass root level
 Inadequate use of improved seeds, fertilizers, irrigation and other
inputs
 Very weak backward-forward linkage in agriculture
 Climate change and variation
 Lowering ground water level in dry season
 Inadequate Capital of farmers

8. 8
Initiatives and Success
in Agriculture and
Rural Development

9. 9
Women's Participation in Agriculture
 Women are engaged in Agriculture related activities like:
 post harvest operations, seed preservation, nursery business,
 jute stripping, vegetable cultivation, homestead gardening,
 floriculture, production of horticultural seeds,
 establishment and management of cottage industries based
on locally produced agricultural commodities etc.

10. Invention of Genome Sequence of Jute
 Jute was called the Golden Fiber of Bangladesh as Bangladesh was
the largest jute production country of the world.
 Recently, genome sequencing of jute has been discovered by
Bangladeshi scientists.
 This invention is treated as the prime success of Agricultural sector
of Bangladesh.
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11. 11
Modernization of Agriculture
 Modernization and mechanization of Agriculture.
 Modern agricultural machineries are used in our agriculture. .
 Tractor, Fertilizer, genome seed and deep tube-wel are used also

12. 12
Subsidy By the Government
 During the fiscal year 2010-2011 about 40,000 million taka were
subsidized in the agricultural sector for purchasing urea, non-urea
fertilizer and diesel.
Addressing the Adverse Effects of Climate Change
 The climate change has resulted in
changes in cultivation time of many
crops and hampered traditional
cultivation in many areas.
 Bangladesh Rice Research Institute
(BRRI) have invented some climate
adapted varieties of Rice and many
others crops.

13. Government’s recent Steps
 Farmers database and Farmers Inputs Support Card to 1 Crore 82
Lakh farmers.
 Increased subsidy on Agricultural Inputs (Fertilizer, diesel,
electricity, seeds)
 Farmer friendly agricultural credit policy
 1 Crore 82 Lakh farmers’ new bank accounts being opened
 100 Hr. free supplementary irrigation
 Enhanced Agricultural rehab grants to victims of natural
calamities
 Support for accelerated mechanization of agriculture
 Surface water irrigation
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14. Policy Support and Strategies
Strategies
 Self-sufficiency in food: 2012
 Ensuring food security: 2017
 Middle Income Country: 2021
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Policy Support
 National Agriculture Policy (NAP) 2013
 New Agricultural Extension Policy (NAEP) 1996
 National Food Policy (NFP) 2006
 National Seed Policy and Rural Credit Policy (Farmers friendly)
Vision 2021:Technology based agriculture
 With a view to enhancing agricultural production and ensuring
food security, the target of agriculture sector is that, by 2021,
food deficiency will be eliminated and the country will attain self-
sufficiency in food production enabling to meet nutritional
requirement of the population.

15. Rural Development in Bangladesh
Rural development is the betterment in the totality of life for rural people.
It is the process of improving the quality of life and economic well-
being of people living in relatively isolated and sparsely populated
areas. It actions are mainly aim to the social and economic
development of the rural areas.
 According to World Bank, “Rural development is a strategy designed to
improve the economic and social life of a specific group of people-the
rural poor.”
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Indicators of Rural Development
 Changes in agricultural productivity.
 Changes in rural employment, unemployment and under employment
 Changes in income of different income groups
 Changes in the distribution of power, influence and participation.
 Changes in literacy, schooling, literacy rate and life expectancy
 Changes in values, believes and attitudes of members of state agencies
as well as the rural policy making.

16. History of Rural Development
 British Period:
The British created a loyal landed class of Zamidars through the
Permanent Settlement Act of 1793.
 Pakistan Period:
In 1950 Zamidari system was abolished. There had several
programs on that time as like Village Agricultural and
Industrial Development (V-AID) program in 1953. In 1959, A
four-tier local government system was launched by the military
government of Mohammad Ayub Khan.
 Bangladesh Period:
In 1972 Bangladesh government activated the Integrated Rural
Development Program (IRDP) to replicate and expand The
Comilla Model in other parts of the country. Now it is worked as
Bangladesh Rural Development Board (BRDB). In 1979, CIRDAP
was established in 1979 as an inter-governmental organization
to facilitate IRD in the Asia-Pacific region.
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17. Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD) or The Comilla
Model was a rural development program launched in 1959 by
Akhter Hameed Khan in Comilla. The Features of the Comilla Model:
 The promotion of development of various institutions, both public
and private, and establishing a system of interrelationships
between them;
 Involvement of public and private sectors in the rural
development;
 Development of leadership in every village, including managers,
model farmers, women organizers, youth leaders to sustain the
development;
 Development of three basic infrastructures;
 Priority on decentralized and coordinated rural administration;
 Ensure education, organization and discipline.
 Focus on economic planning and technology.
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BARD: (The Comilla Model)

18. Role of Government
1. The Comprehensive Village
Development Program was
launched by BARD in 1975.
2. The Small Farmers Development
Program was introduced in 1993.
3. Major governmental rural
development projects:
(i) The Vulnerable Group Development,
(ii) Thana Resource Development and
Employment Project, (iii) Rural Social
Service Program, (iv) Community
Development Program, (v) Self-reliance
Program for Rural Women, (vi)
Technologies for rural employment.
4. The National Rural Development
Policy (NRDP) in 2000.
5. Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper
(PRSP).
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NGO’s Role
NGO cover an wide range of
rural development activities
including:
development of income and
employment, health and
sanitation, agriculture and
rural craft, vocational
education, relief and
rehabilitation, family
planning, mother and
childcare.
Prominent NGOs are:
The Bangladesh Rural
Advancement Committee
(BRAC), Grameen Bank,
Proshika, Manobik Unnayan
Kendra, ASA, Rangpur-
Dinajpur Rural Service etc.

19. PRSP: Agriculture and Rural Development
 Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), entitled “Unlocking the
Potential –National Strategy for Accelerated Poverty Reduction”
(2005), highlights the need for:
higher growth in rural areas, development of agriculture
and rural non-farm economic activities as one of the four
priority areas to accelerating pro-poor economic growth.
 PRSP is the Key driver of pro-poor growth strategy.
 PRSP puts emphasis on achieving productivity and profitability
gains, diversification and commercialization of agricultural
enterprises.
 PRSP also stressed on agricultural research and technology
generation.
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20. Reference
1. Agriculture in Bangladesh: Performance Problems and
Prospects By Mosharaff Hossain.
2. Rural Development in Bangladesh: Trends and Issues By
Mohammad Mohabbat Khan, Habib Mohammad Zafarullah
3. Agrarian Social Relations and Rural Development in
Bangladesh By Anwarullah Chowdhury
4. Bangladesh Studies: Politics, Administration, Rural
Development, and Foreign Policy By Mohammad Mohabbat
Khan, Saiyada Anoyara Hosena
5. Bangladesher Orthoneeti o Unnoyon By Rushidan Islam
Rhaman.
6. Bangladesh Economic Review
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