1. PUBLIC AGRICULTURAL R&D IN BANGLADESH, INDIA, NEPAL
Recent trends in investments, human capacity, and
institutional landscape
Nienke Beintema
ASTI program head | International Food Policy Research Institute
Presentation at the APAARI-IFPRI AR4D synthesis meeting
New Delhi | 4 July 2012

2. Institutional landscape
• Highly complex: government, higher education,
nonprofit, private, and international research agencies
• A large degree of variation exists in terms of size (167 in
India; 54 in Bangladesh; 8 in Nepal)
• All three countries have national agricultural research
councils (ARCs) that coordinate agricultural R&D, but role
and scope of authority differ
Bangladesh India Nepal
0.4% 9.1%
13.8%
15.6%
43.1%
56.9%
75.3%
85.9%
Government Higher education Nonprofit

3. Public agricultural R&D spending and staffing 2009
Total spending Total researchers
PPP Shares Number Shares
Country dollars (%) (FTEs) (%)
Bangladesh 126 5 2,081 15
India 2,276 94 11,217 82
Nepal 22 1 389 3
Total 2,425 100 13,686 100

4. Public agricultural R&D spending trends
Bangladesh
Million 2005 PPP dollars
160 40 Nepal
Million 2005 PPP dollars
140 35
120 30
100 25
80 20
60 15
40 10
20 5
0 0
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
15 Bangladesh India Nepal
Annual growth rate (%)
Million 2005 PPP dollars
2500
10
2000
India
5
1500 0
1000 -5
500 -10
-15
0
1996-2001 2001-2005 2005-2009
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008

5. Public agricultural researcher trends
Bangladesh Nepal
2100 450
Researchers (FTEs)
Researchers (FTEs)
1800
360
1500
1200 270
900 180
600
90
300
0 0
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
4 Bangladesh India Nepal
India
Annual growth rate (%)
15000
3
Researchers (FTEs)
12000
2
9000 1
6000 0
3000 -1
-2
0
1996-2001 2001-2005 2005-2009
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008

6. Intensity ratio trends
0.5
Public agricultural R&D spending
0.4
as a % of AgGDP
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.0
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
Bangladesh India Nepal

7. Degree qualifications of researchers* 2009
100
Share of FTE researchers (%)
80
60
40
20
0
2003 2009 2003 2009 2003 2009
Bangladesh ICAR (India) Nepal
PhD MSc BSc
*Include staff holding official research positions

8. Age structure researchers 2009
Nepal

9. Commodity focus of researchers 2009
100
Share of FTE researchers (%)
80
60
40
20
0
Bangladesh India Nepal
Crops Livestock Natural resources Fisheries Other

10. Focus of crop researchers 2009
Country Major crop items
Rice (19%), fruits (12%), vegetables (9%), wheat (6%),
Bangladesh
potatoes (5%), sugarcane (5%)
India Rice (15%), fruits (9%), vegetables (6%), wheat (6%)
Vegetables (20%), rice (19%), wheat (12%), maize (9%),
Nepal
fruits (9%)
*Excludes crop items with shares lower than 5%.

11. Main challenges/opportunities — Bangladesh
• Complex institutional structure hampers BARC’s
coordinating role
• Volatile annual R&D spending levels
• Historic dependence on World Bank support for
agricultural R&D
• Recent capacity erosion have left the country with a very
large number of unfilled vacancies
• Imminent retirement of senior researchers as a result of an
early (59 years) retirement age
• Very low proportion of female agricultural scientists

12. Main challenges/opportunities — India
• Large R&D system with highly qualified staff
• Strong agricultural education system
• Rapidly increasing agricultural R&D spending levels
• NAIP has stimulated ongoing reform in agricultural R&D,
involving research organizations, farmers, the private
sector, and other stakeholders
• Weakening research capacity at SAUs and a fragmentation
of SAUs along disciplinary lines

13. Main challenges/opportunities — Nepal
• Lack of effective and efficient policy implementing bodies
and instruments
• Rapidly aging pool of highly qualified scientists and
numerous vacant positions at NARC
• Severe cut in donor funding resulting from unstable
political situation led to increased government funding
• Relatively important role of nonprofit sector in conducting
agricultural R&D
• Upcoming reforms at NARC as part of Strategic Vision for
Agricultural Research (2011–2030)

14. THANK YOU