Agriculture and

Rural Development
in Bangladesh

Md. Fouad Hossain Sarker

Assistant Professsor
Dept. of Natural Sciences
Daffodil International University
Objectives of this Class
Know about the development stages of
Agriculture.
Be familiar with the facts, figures as well as
condition of the agriculture of Bangladesh.
Identify the problems and challenges in
agriculture.
Explore the reasons behind rural
development of Bangladesh.
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of
animals, plants, fungus, 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
Development Stage of
First Stage, Neolithic Age
Agriculture
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 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 5
Agriculture of Bangladesh:
At a Glance
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 16.33 percent to the country's
GDP.
It is possible to reduce rural poverty and raise the living
standard of people by establishing agriculture as 6 a
 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 16.33 percent in the
2013-14 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
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
Initiatives and Success
in Agriculture and
Rural Development

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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 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

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 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 13
Governments 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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Policy Support and Strategies
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
Strategies
(Farmers friendly)
Self-sufficiency in food: 2012
Ensuring food security: 2017
Middle Income Country: 2021

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
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 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
Indicators of Rural Development
poor.
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 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 1952 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-17
 BARD: (The Comilla Model)
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 rural18
Role of
NGOs Role
Government
1. The Comprehensive NGO cover an wide
Village Development range of rural
Program was launched by development activities
BARD in 1975. including:
2. The Small Farmers development of income
Development Program was and employment,
introduced in 1993. health and sanitation,
3. Major governmental agriculture and rural
craft, vocational
rural development
education, relief and
projects: rehabilitation, family
(i) The Vulnerable Group planning, mother and
Development, (ii) Thana childcare.
Resource Development and
Prominent NGOs are:
Employment Project, (iii) Rural
The Bangladesh Rural
Social Service Program, (iv)
Advancement
Community Development
Committee (BRAC),
Program, (v) Self-reliance
Grameen Bank,
Program for Rural Women, (vi)
Proshika, Manobik
Technologies for rural 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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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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Chapter Related Questions
Discuss the development trends of the agriculture.
What are the new technologies that now are used in
agriculture?
What are the problems of the agriculture of
Bangladesh?
Illustrate the initiatives of the Bangladesh
government in the development of agriculture.
Mention the contribution of agriculture in GDP for
last 50 years.
What do you mean by Rural Development?
Describe the history of rural development of
Bangladesh.
What are the role of government and NGOs in rural
development.
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Feedback Session
What did you learn from todays class?
Mention the of problems that you unable to
understand.
How can you assess todays class environment?
What did you achieve from this class?
How can we make it more active and impressive?

Thank You