The document summarizes the history and operations of the Small Farmers Development Foundation (SFDF) in Bangladesh. Some key points: 1) SFDF started as an action research project of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in the 1970s and was established as a foundation in 2005 to provide a sustainable model for smallholder farmer development. 2) It operates in 11 districts, covering 55 upazilas (sub-districts), and works with small and marginal farmer households. 3) Through group lending and development of income-generating activities, SFDF has helped increase incomes, savings, and investments for tens of thousands of farmers while achieving high loan recovery rates.

1. Small Farmers Development Foundation
(SFDF)
A National Model for Smallholder Farmer
Experiences of Bangladesh
1

2. Bangladesh Map

3. Bangladesh Profile
 Official Name: Peoples’ Republic of Bangladesh
 Geographically the country is located between 200-34’
and 260-38’ north latitude and between 880-01’ and
920-41’east longitude.
 Bangladesh lies in the north-eastern part of south Asia
and is surrounded by India on all sides except for a
smaller border with Myanmar to the far south-east and
the Bay of Bengal to the South.
 The total area of the country is 147,570 sq. km.
3

4. Bangladesh Profile (contd.)
 People living in the rural areas are more than 75%.
 The total population is 160 million.
 Population density is 993 per sq KM
 House hold size is 4.4
 Population growth rate is 1.34
 Per capita income is US$ 821.
 Per capita GDP is US$ 755.
 Growth rate is 6.66
 Population below poverty line is 31.5%. 4

5. Bangladesh Profile (contd.)
 Life expectancy at birth is 67.2 years
 Agriculture contributes 19.9%, industry contributes
20.6% service sector contributes 59.50% to GDP.
 Agriculture generates two thirds of total
employment.
 Total arable land is 73%.
 Education rate is 58.3 (2010)
 Child mortality rate is 50 per thousand
 Maternal mortality rate is 194 per 100000
5

6. Bangladesh Profile (contd.)
 Bangladesh Generally enjoys a sub-tropical
Weather.
 It has six seasons in a Year: Monsoon, Winter,
Summer, Autumn, Spring and Rainy Season
 Winter (Nov. – February): 7.22-31.11 Celsius
 Summer (March-June): 36.66-40.55 Celsius
 Natural Resources: natural gas, arable land,
timber, coal
6

7. Bangladesh Profile (contd.)
 Bangladesh is Basically an agrarian country.
 Agriculture: rice, jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane,
potatoes, tobacco, pulses, oilseeds, spices,
fruit; beef, milk, poultry
7

8. Bangladesh Profile (contd.)
 The largest mangrove forest in the World:
Sunderban
 Total forest area: 16%
 Major river: Padma, Meghna, Jamuna,
Brammaputra
of these rivers come through India
 Two Sea port: Chittagong and Mongla
 The longest see beach in the world is Cox’s Bazar-
More than 147km
8

9. Bangladesh Agriculture at a Glance
Total area : 14.845 million hectare
Forest : 2.599 million hectare
Cultivable land : 8.44 million hectare
Cultivable waste : 0.268 million hectare
Current fellow : 0.469 million hectare
Cropping intensity : 175.97%
Single cropped area : 2.851 million hectare
Double cropped area : 3.984 million hectare
Triple cropped area : 0.974 million hectare
Net cropped area : 7.809 million hectare
Contribution of agriculture sector to GDP :23.50%
Contribution of crop sector to GDP :13.44%
9
Source: BBS, 2006 and Handbook Agricultural Statistics, MoA

10. GENESIS & BACKGROUND OF SFDF
 Started its journey in seventies as an Action
Research Project of FAO
 FAO conducted a survey ‘Asian Survey on
Agrarian Reforms and Rural Development
(ASARRD) in eight Asian Countries
(Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Korea, Nepal,
Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand) in 1974
 Commencement of the SFDP-1976 (M/O
LGRD & C)

11. Project Objectives
The immediate objective of the project was to
increase production, employment and income
of the Small Farmers and Landless Labourers
through the formation of small homogeneous
group.
The ultimate objective was to develop a
sustainable and replicable institutional
framework for the development of SF & LL
through utilization of support services of
existing GOB departments mainly credit from
nationalized banks.

12. Experimental Period (1976 – 80)
Pilot programme was established covering a total of eight
villages of Comilla (BARD), Bogra (RDA) and Mymensingh
(BAU).
Transition Period (1981 - 90)
The project passes dormant period with less
activity at the field level from 1981-84 due to
financial and other administrative problems.
During 3rd FYP (1985 – 90) Patuakhali and Barguna
included in the project along with previous areas.

13. Expansion Period (From 1991)
 2nd phase started in July 1991 for 5 years,
following evaluation and recommendation of
1st phase.
 Seven upazilas of Barisal and Bhola districts
were included during the periods with total of
21 upazilas under the project.
 3rd phase started in 1996 and ended in 1999
and subsequently it has been extended up to
June 2004 as an extended phase.

14. PROJECT COMPONENTS
 Formation of Informal Groups (5-10 members)
 Collateral Free Credit through Banks (JB/KB)
 Motivation for own Savings through Small
Deposits
 Human Resource Development
 Motivation for Social Development Activities

15. TARGET POPULATION & LOCATION
Landless : Cultivable land
up to 0.50 acre (0.20 ha)
Small Farmers : Household having cultivable land
0.51-1.50 acres (0.20-0.60 ha)
Project Location: 30 upazilas of Comilla,
Chandpur, Mymensingh,
Bogra, Patuakhali,
Borguna, Barishal & Bhola
Districts

16. Implementation & Management
Financial Management
The project was operating under ADP. UNDP
provided technical assistance upto 1991 and
UNCDF provided credit fund up to June 1999.
GoB –manpower and other operational costs.
Credit Management
UNDP/FAO provided a guarantee fund of Tk.
5.00 lakh and by UNCDF of Tk. 190 lakh in 1988.
Janata Bank provided credit support since 1976
and Krishi Bank from 1995.

17. PHYSICAL PROGRESS of SFDP
No. of project villages : 1,200
No. of groups : 10,000
No. of members : 60,000
Percentage of Women : 50%
Deposit of savings : Tk. 61 million
Credit disbursement : Tk. 740 million
Credit recovery : Tk. 650 million
Credit outstanding : Tk. 160 million
Percentage of Recovery : 90%

18. ACHIEVEMENTS OF SFDP
 Increase in income (40%)
 Generation of own Capital/Savings (Tk. 609.00 Lakh)
 Investment (Tk. 72.38 million)
 Loan Recovery (91%)
 Linkage with Banks
 Women Development (28,000 poor women)
 Social Development
- Schooling of Children
- Family Planning
- Health and nutrition
 Economic Viability of Groups (7,000 graduated members)

19. MAJOR INCOME
GENERATING ACTIVITIES BY
BENEFICIARIES OF SFDP

20. Milch Cow Rearing – The Most Prominent IGA

21. Duck Rearing – Another Important One in Most Areas

22. Household level Rice Milling Business by Poor Women

23. Mechanized Country Boat for Fishing at Costal Areas

24. Battle Leaf Farming is Another Encouraging IGA

25. Pond Fish Culture is Very Much Important IGA

26. Hogla Mat Enterprise Very Much Suitable for Women

27. HYV Bitter Gourd Farming also Very Much Profitable

28. Small Scale Iodized Salt Business-Very Much Common IGA

29. Traditional Rickshaw Enterprises

30. Small Scale Petty Business at Household level

31. Laundry as a means of IGA by Young Members

32. TASK FORCE FOR FUTURE PROGRAMMING OF SFDP
 A Task Force was constituted by the RDCD
to evaluate the performance of the project
and formulate recommendations for future
programming of the project in 2003.

33. TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR A NEW INSTITUTIONAL
SET-UP

34. The Task Force having gone through the findings of
various evaluation studies and having made intensive
field visits to project areas is convinced about the
project and present the facts as follows:
1. The SFDP is an effective and viable model for
poverty alleviation
2. Its specialty lies in the fact that it addresses the
problems of the tomorrow’s poor, the small and
marginal farmers along with the landless

35. 3. The SFDP has created an organizational
structure and institutional culture which could
be the basis for a permanent organization
2. The SFDP has also created a strong human
capital base which can be used effectively for
poverty alleviation
5. BARD being essentially a Research and Training
Institution cannot indefinitely continue to
implement SFDP

36. It is in the above context that the Task
Force recommends that SFDP can be
converted into a foundation named:
SMALL FARMERS
DEVELOPMENT
FOUNDATION
(SFDF)

37. SFDF and Thereafter……
 Formed as Foundation in 27 July 2005 (under
Company Act 1913, amended in 1994) and
started its activity in February 2006.
 Working Areas: 11 Districts (Comilla,
Mymensingh, Bogra, Barishal, Borgona,
Patuakhali, Bhola, Chandpur, Pabna, Rangpur
and Kurigram).
 No. of Upazila Covered: 55
 Regional Office : 11 (in each district).
 Sub-Regional Office: 55 (in each Upazilas)

38. 11-02-2010 38