Wednesday | 15 January 2025 | Reg No- 06
বাংলা
   
Wednesday | 15 January 2025 | Epaper

Agriculture needs a big push

Published : Saturday, 17 September, 2016 at 12:00 AM  Count : 457
Haradhan Ganguly

" src=

The caption of The Daily Observer saying 'Bangladesh turns world's fourth largest rice producer' shows the strength of our resilient agriculture. Social protection has gone to such an extent that the poor are getting per kilograms of rice at TK 10 only. Remembering 70s of the last century, our agriculture could provide food only to seven and a half crore people. It could cover 60 per cent of the needs. The rest was fulfilled by rice imports. Even in 2006, Bangladesh was a food-deficit country. The present government's far reaching agriculture policy support coupled with the efforts of the toiling farmers has made Bangladesh self- sufficient in food. Agriculture is now giving food protection to 16 crore people.
Yet self-complacency should not go far since some facts and figures have sprung up in recent times, which demand new analysis, a changed form of efforts and policy support and vigour. A paradigm shift in agriculture is needed.
That Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) says boro rice production declined last season after years of consistent rise as many farmers, frustrated by the low prices of paddy, cut back on plantation and switched to other crops is really a worrying message. The output of 'boro', which accounts for 55 per cent of the total annual production, fell 1.32 per cent from a year earlier to 189.38 lakh tonnes during the production year of fiscal 2015-16 according to BBS. Falling acreage was the main factor affecting boro rice production in the immediate past season. BBS estimates that boro acreage fell 1.38 per cent to 47.73 lakh hectares in the boro season that ended in May. Earlier, FAO predicted that rice output would be lower than that of the previous year for contraction in plantings in response to low domestic prices. Boro was the second rice season in fiscal 2015-16 in which the acreage declined. Earlier, 'aus' acreage had dropped due to a shift to summer vegetables by a section of farmers on profitably grounds. Production and area rose only during 'aman', the monsoon-based crop, according to BBS. But boro acreage fell again as farmers switched to more profitable crops such as maize, wheat, potato, jute, lentils and summer vegetables as low prices of rice persisted. Farmers earlier said they incurred losses as prices of the staple were below their production costs. With falling boro production, total rice output in fiscal 2015-16 stood equal to last year's 347.1 lakh tonnes. For fiscal 2016-17, the Department of Agricultural Extension has targeted to ensure production of 23.76 lakh tonnes of aus, and 234 lakh tonnes of aman rice. Harvesting of paddy grown during aus season has been completed. In the July issue of Grain and Feed update on Bangladesh, the US Department of Agriculture said the production of summer rice aus will be lower due to decreased acreage.

" src=

The rule for mandatory use of bulk jute bags for five agricultural commodities is driving the demand for jute and farmers have responded by increasing jute cultivation which they expect will be more profitable than aus rice, the USDA said. Apprehending rice production shortage, a pressure on food import might be experienced this year, which was low in the last few years. Food import soared 24 to 33 per cent in July.
Here is a basic question shrouded us, for agriculture government is doing its utmost. For ensuring food security, uplift of nutritional status, eradication of poverty and employment generation agriculture is getting top priority all the time. Government's aim is to enhance agriculture production and productivity, efficiency of farmers and extension workers, providing special services due to climate change, export oriented commercialization of agriculture, introducing contract basis farming including diversification, ensuring employment and maintaining nutritional status. For those, we need 3.2to 3.5 per cent sustainable growth of agriculture and more than 7 per cent rate of growth of GDP.
To keep the development space sustainable, the government is providing quality seeds, balanced fertilizers and other materials, facilitating opening of bank accounts for farmers, granting endowment funds for agricultural research, encouraging compost fertilizer all are in force. But question is why the growth of agriculture is not sustainable rather it is declining day by day. It is declining to 2.6 per cent from 5.5 per cent. Desirable agricultural growth could not be achieved even after comprehensive support policy of the government. Where lies the mystery. The main breeding field for declining agricultural growth is the imperfect marketing. For that farmers for centuries are being deprived of proper prices of their produces including paddy. Had farmers not covered the cost, a discouraged ambient among farmers would have been triggered off that would have a negative impact on enhancing production. Bangladesh agriculture has been suffering from this market imperfection. Correcting measures are not in the offing any more. The government has taken some fiscal measures. For agricultural produce marketing, special credit facilities at lower rates from different banks including foreign banks have been introduced. Principles for agricultural loans are chalked out under PPP. Priorities are given on cereals, fish and animal resources. In 2016-17, these sectors are getting loans at 4 per cent interest rate. Milk, poultry farms, cows fatten projects at 5 per cent rates. Yet market imperfections are still in force.
Experts' views go otherwise. The government's agricultural policy is very comprehensive and inclusive. Yet expected growth cannot be achieved. "Seeds, fertilizer, irrigation" technology brought about a revolution in 60s of the last century. It was a turning point for agriculture. We were able to increase rice production five times by adapting small farming of our tradition. High breed production technology brings our agriculture to its highest peak of success. But now experts think that high breed production technology has come to an end. Its break through magic has been ceased. Our agriculture has been suffering from these setbacks, not the problem of any dearth of policy matters or supports. Now experts suggest our agriculture needs to introduce a new technology, a big technology for creating a new turning point. Otherwise agriculture will not be able to get rid of its present state of dilemma. That technology is called G M O technology. This technology is the total mechanized cover up of high breed seeds and production. From sowing seeds to production, harvesting, packing and weight measuring etc everything will be done by a big technology-GMO technology. From sowing seeds to rice packing all have to be done in one technology, its' a big technology. It will protect crops from climate change. It will keep control of temperature. This GMO technology could be of labour saving, a debate might come to the front.
Non- formal activities are so rapidly growing in rural economy, introducing labour saving big technology in agriculture would not face any danger of unemployment. Our information technology and road communication are so sufficiently developed, the problems of marketing would be wiped out if we be made free from the present small farming burdened with contract farming and small farmers. Agriculture still contributes to GDP 15.33 per cent and 47 per cent of total labour force are engaged in this sector. But only 13 per cent of it is directly connected with agriculture and the rest with non- formal sectors, mainly trades, services and SME. GMO technology will not find its way overnight. With its introduction, the question of entire remodelling of village structure will come in front. We have to proceed on slowly but steadily. For withering away the present stalemate, agriculture needs a big push though the ongoing policy support is alright.

Haradhan Ganguly is a freelance contributor. Email: gharadhan@gmail.com





LATEST NEWS
MOST READ
Also read
KM Subhan and the principles he lived for
Yahya would grant freedom to Bangladesh in March 1972?
Taking it lightly can be too fatal
The world in layers of purity
Kolkata stories, loss in transit and Huda's proposal
Rohingyas deserve help
The English language . . . its peaks and pitfalls
Rohingya massacre — Will 'rip van winkle' wake up?
Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Online: 41053014; Advertisement: 41053012.
E-mail: district@dailyobserverbd.com, news©dailyobserverbd.com, advertisement©dailyobserverbd.com, For Online Edition: mailobserverbd©gmail.com
🔝
close