Archive for the ‘Agriculture’ Category

Where science is the solution

Abdul Bayes

There is little shade of doubt that Bangladesh has made commendable progress in food grain production, especially rice. The total rice production reached 32 million tonnes in 2009/10 as compared to 25 million tonnes just five years back. Since Independence, production of rice tripled and the growth rate of rice outpaced the population growth rate during the same period of time. Taking into account wheat and maize, the total food grain production perked at 34 million tonnes in 2009/10. Needless to mention perhaps that the shinning success has come through the adoption of modern high yielding varieties (HYVs) with an yield level roughly three times the traditional varieties (TVs).

The advancement of science in the region of rice produced spectacular results in many countries, such as Bangladesh, where the specter of famine haunted every moment. With the help of mechanized irrigation, modern varieties are now spread over four-fifth of the cultivated land. Initially, this expensive package was led by the large and the medium land owners; small and marginal farmers remained as laggards. But at the moment, more than 80 per cent of the small and marginal farmers have learnt to adopt this to fight against poverty.

The leading institution for rice research in our country is Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) that has released a number of varities suitable to different production conditions. Despite remarkable success in the past, however, a dark cloud loomed large on the horizon of our happiness as a sizeable part of Bangladesh, known as drought and saline-prone areas, suffered due to the lack of scientific advancement suited to their ecology. As such, poverty level in these areas stood very high. As we can recollect, the infamous “monga” or “mora Kartik”, now almost on the wane in greater Rangpur District, used to steal newspaper headlines for its ferocity in terms of famine and hunger.

The scientists of the BRRI, with technical assistance from IRRI, is reported to have released three HYVs named BRRI dhan-55, BRRI dhan-56 and BRRI dhan-57. The first variety is a moderate salinity and cold-tolerant variety with an yield rate of 7.0 tonnes per hectare. This is higher than the most widely accepted HYV BRRI-dhan 28. Since the variety is tolerant of salinity and cold, it is suitable for production in the salinity-prone south and the cold-hit north. On the other hand, BRRI dhan-56 and BRRI dhan-57 are drought resistant varieties – a medicine for the smonga-hit regions. Farmers can now expect better harvest as the wet season ends and water becomes scarce. Specially BRRI dhan-56 can withstand rainless days up to one month and the grain matures in 107 and 110 days during Aman season even when the water table depth goes down to 70-80 cm. BRRI dhan-57 can withstand drought for up to three weeks but the grain matures even earlier – in 100 to 105 days. “This means jute farmers can go for late Aman production with this variety while potato growers can think of reaping the paddy quickly and free the land for winter vegetable prior to cultivation of the next boro rice”, a report in a national English daily said. We congratulate both BRRI and IRRI for developing varieties of paddy that would go a long way in mitigating the miseries of the farmers in southern and northern Bangladesh.

In this context, we can submit few important points to ponder with. First, science is the solution to our food crisis. As arable land is going down by 1.2 per cent per annum and 2.0 million people are joining the titanic total of more than 150 million each year, the only way to move forward is to cover the whole country with modern varieties of rice. It also means going for hybrid rice after taking due cognizance of the costs, tastes etc. Second, international collaboration in scientific advancement and technology borrowing could help a resource poor country to grapple with the issue of food security. Third, seeing the successes made by our scientists in developing newer varieties of rice, the government should devote more resources to agricultural research and extension services. In fact, development of research and extension services in rice could turn out to be the “real subsidy” for farmers than financial subsidy provided at the cost of devastating distortions and inequality.

Finally, time has come to shift the emphasis from ground water irrigation to surface water irrigation as, allegedly, water table is going down further with competing withdrawal of underground water. This means, we should provide more importance to the southern belt which is apparently the center of surface water irrigation. But mere irrigation will not suffice; salinity tolerant varieties – as has recently been released — must make a mark in those areas.

By and large, Bangladesh’s breakthrough in addressing the issues of food insecurity in the past, albeit a bleaker one, came on the heels of the development of a series of modern varieties of paddy. The coming years, and the ecologically diverse zones should witness high yielding varieties at a rapid pace. Only an earnest endeavour to scientific advancement in the field of rice research could provide farmers with the last laugh. And let the developments expand to other crops such as wheat, maize etc. For Bangladesh science is security.

The writer is a Professor of Economics at Jahangirnagar University. He can be reached at email: abdulbayes@yahoo.com

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=152446&date=2011-10-11

Panchagarh expected to produce 1.2 million kg tea this year
Courtesy The Financial Express

RANGPUR, May 8 (BSS): About 1.2 million kgs of tea are expected to be produced in the gardens in Panchagarh this year where small-scale tea farming is on the rise.

Small-scale tea farming got further boost after Panchagarh district administration, Bangladesh Tea Board (BTB) and the entrepreneurs (tea companies) jointly raised the procurement price of green leaves to Tk 18.50 per kg from Tk 16 this season.

According to the officials, tea farming and its production has been increasing every year in Panchagarh since April, 2000 following the directives of the then and also the present Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

An official of Panchagarh Regional Office of BTB Amir Hossain said 8,80,000 kgs of tea were produced in 2010 and 58,724 kgs in 2009. This year the production might cross 1.2 million kgs.

Tea farming expanded faster in Panchagarh following various government steps and now, tea is growing on about 2,400 acres land distributed in 261 small gardens, 15 medium size gardens and eight big estates.

Small-scale tea growers are likely to bring another 400 acres of land under plantation this year and the district administration plans to allow private sector cultivation on the khas lands.

Director of Bangladesh Tea Research Institute Mukul Jyoti Dutta said that 3 to 4 year-old plants in Panchagarh are producing the best quality tea. “The average tea yield rate stands between 3,500 kgs and 4,000 kgs per hectare in Panchagarh and between 500 to 2,500 kgs in Sylhet and Chittagong zones when the national average yield rate stands at 1,200 kgs per hectare now,” he said.

Due to increase in tea consumption at home and static annual production of 58 to 60 million kgs of tea, the export of the item is on the decline and country exported 3.15 million kgs of tea in 2009 and less than one million kgs in 2010, he added.

The government has taken steps for increasing tea production by expanding its cultivation to other districts, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur and the Chittagong Hill Tracts, BTB official said.

BTB Chairman Maj Gen M Mahbubul Hassan during his visit to Panchagarh on May 9 said the government has taken a massive plan to increase annual tea production to 100 million kgs under a 12-year tea development programme.

The Planning Ministry has accepted the Tk 7.61 billion Strategic development Plan for Tea Industries of Bangladesh: Vision 2021 project and the government is actively considering to endorse it, he said.

Experts said here today that if the project is approved by the government, country’s annual tea production will increase by 40 million kgs enabling the government to earn Tk 5 billion revenue per annum recovering total project costs within two years.

Of the total outlay of the project, Tk 1 billion will be spent for the small tea growers of Panchagarh in developing and expanding the tea sector, they said.

A tea planter said if smooth power supply and natural gas were ensured, production cost of tea would fall to Tk 3 from Tk 22 per kg at present.

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=135045&date=2011-05-09

INADEQUACIES IN TRANSPORT,
PROCESSING, STORAGE
Bangladesh loses Tk 3,391.71cr
fruits, vegetables a year
Penuka Sultana

Bangladesh annually loses fruits and vegetables worth Tk 3,391.71 crore due to lack or inadequacies in transportation, processing and storage.
   A study done by Bangladesh Agricultural University this year shoes that inadequate transportation, storage, processing and marketing facilities cause the loss.
   It identified ignorance of the stakeholders, absence of monitoring by the authorities and the use of chemicals contribute to the recurring loss each year.
   The study estimated the loss of fruits at approximately Tk 3,065.6 crore, of vegetables at nearly Tk 3,26.11 crore.
   Jackfruit growers sustain the highest loss of about 44 per cent and pineapple growers follow with 40 per cent loss due to fruit borer, soft rot, stem-bleeding as well as the use of growth promoting and ripening chemicals in Mymensingh, Gazipur and Madhupur.
   A teacher of the university, Kamrul Hassan did the study, ‘Post Harvest Loss Assessment: A Study to Formulate Policy for Socioeconomic Loss Reduction of the Stakeholders on account of Fruits and Vegetables’ in eight districts of Rajshahi, Chapainawabgonj, Tangail, Bogra, Pabna, Sylhet, Dinajpur, Mymensingh, Gazipur, Jessore, Comilla and Narshingdi.
   The study found an increased use of ripening chemicals in recent years resulted in reduced nutritional quality of fruits and vegetables by 21 per cent.
   Besides, it says, the use of the chemicals is harmful for the consumers.
   A Dhaka University Institute of Nutrition and Food Science teacher Sheikh Nazrul Islam told New Age that indiscriminate use of un-recommended chemicals posed a serious threat to human health. He said that the chemicals damage kidney and can cause cancer and retard the growth of children.
   The study said that growers as well as traders sustain losses for carrying bananas, papayas, pineapples, citruses, litchis, jackfruits, leafy vegetables, cauliflowers, brinjals, okras and cucumbers in traditional in traditional ways to markets.
   Growers and traders also sustain significant losses, it said, due to rot, degeneration or other factors, as no proper post harvest sorting, grading and packaging are done to ensure produce quality during transportation to local selling centres and the wholesale markets at a distance.
   According to the study, about 84 per cent of the growers use growth chemicals for early marketing of many fruits and vegetables like lichi, pineapple, mango, tomato, brinjal and okra at immature stages to maximise profit.
   Bangladesh grows 110 lakh tonnes of fruits and vegetables on about 873,000 hectares, which is far below the minimum per head average requirement of 400 grams per day, according to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics report of 2009.
   Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology head of the department of chemical engineering, Professor Dil Afroza Begum told the New Age the present status of preservation and packing fruits and vegetables in Bangladesah was far from satisfactory.
   She said that with better preservation and packing the losses in fruits and vegetables could be reduced drastically like in the developed countries.
   To achieve it, she said, the traders have to use admissible level of preservatives also low-cost cooling technology to store perishables in rural areas.
   She said that the government had the responsibility to monitor the situation to ensure compliance.

http://www.newagebd.com/2010/sep/03/busi.html#1

Post-harvest spoilage of fruits, vegetables cause Tk3,392cr losses every year

BSS, Mymensingh

The New Nation, 12. July 2010

A study primarily revealed that post harvest spoilage of some selected fruits and vegetables causes a loss of Taka 3,392 crore every year in the country.

” The estimated post harvest losses of fruits and vegetables are enormous which is varies from 18 to 44 percent,” mentioned in a study paper pointing out that the loss was much more if all available fruits and vegetables produced in the country are brought under the research work.

A research team led by Dr Md Kamrul Hassan, Associate Professor of the Department of Horticulture in Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) is conducting the study titled ” Post-harvest loss assessment: A study to formulate policy for post harvest loss reduction of fruits and vegetables and socio-economic uplift of the stakeholders”.

The vegetables included in the study are tomato, cauliflower, brinjal, red amaranth, okra and cucumber with study areas of Jessore, Bogra, Comilla, Norshingdi, Kustia and Chuadanga while fruits categories are mango, banana, papaya, pineapple, orange, litchi and jackfruit with the areas of Rajshahi, Chaphai Nowabgonj, Tangail, Pabna, Gazipur, Chittagong, Sylhet, Dinajpur and Mymensingh for assessing post harvest loss, determine nutritional loss of fruits and vegetables and their pattern change at different stages and use of chemicals and pesticides.

Sub-standard and outdated pre and post harvest management practices adopted by stakeholders like growers and intermediaries, inadequate and unscientific storage facilities, lack of smooth and timely transportation of agro-products to the sell points and indiscriminate use of non-recommended chemicals specially for repining and preservations were identified as root causes of huge post-harvest losses of fruits and vegetables. Lack of knowledge in the growers and latest technologies are also key-reasons behind such spoilage leads to enormous economic losses, the researchers pointed out.

Among the selected fruits, post-harvest losses have been found maximum 44 percent in jackfruit with main diseases syndromes of shoot and fruit borer, stem-bleeding, and died-back that appeared as the serious threat in the leading jackfruit producing areas such as Mymensingh and Gazipur. On the other hand, post-harvest losses have been found 40 percent in pineapple due to indiscriminate use of growth promoting and repining agents causing quality deterioration and higher post harvest losses in Madhupur areas of Tangail.

The study paper recommended that the government should come forward immediately with special programme to solve these deteriorating trend in jackfruit and pineapple production. To check and reduce the post-harvest losses , the researchers suggested for setting up adequate storage facilities and small-scale processing plant as alternative to storage facility, ensure smooth and timely transportation for brining produces at sale points , introduction of sufficient numbers of refrigerated covered vans under public-private partnership to carry perishable fruits and vegetables.

The paper advocated for undertaking pilot projects to establish limited number of low temperature storage facilities in production catchments and wholesale markets for high-value produces. The locations for such facilities for specific fruits and vegetables can be Chapai Nawabganj for mango, Dinajpur for litchi , Madhupur of Tangail for pineapple and banana , and Jessore , Comilla and Bogra for vegetables. Besides , the paper recommended for construction of 4 large-scale multipurpose storage facilities at the vicinity of Karwan bazar, Jatrabari, Sayedabad and Badamtali in the capital for short and long term storage of perishables.

The researchers emphasised for launching massive drive to develop skilled manpower in the post-harvest management sectors to train and motivate the field level stakeholders. Steps would also be taken to improve the present frustrating state of packaging fruits and vegetables for keeping those longer times fit for consumption and hygienic.

The declining nutritional quality of fruits and vegetables during marketing is not yet properly documented in the country. A shorter time period between harvesting and consumption ensure vitamin-C security to the population, the study observed.

http://ebiz.ittefaq.com/issues/2010/07/12/news0102.htm

Mango – a research paper by BARI scientists 2008

রসালো মধু মাসের আম বাংগালির ঐতিহ্যের সাথে সম্পৃক্ত। নান জাতের, বণের, সাদের এবং আকারের আম শুধু রসনা বিলাস নয় অর্থকরি ফসল হিসেবেও মুল্য সংযোজন করছে। এর উতপাদন, বাজারজাত করন, প্রক্রিয়াজাত করন এবং সংরক্ষন নিয়ে এই গবেষনা

Farmers in north see silent
revolution in litchi farming

http://www.newagebd.com/2010/mar/26/home.html

Litchi makes many growers self-reliant

 Courtesy: Newage, 26.03.2010
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha . Rangpur

A silent revolution has taken place in litchi farming as hundreds of farmers achieved their economic self- reliance through cultivating the most delicious, juicy and fleshy seasonal fruit in recent years throughout northern Bangladesh.
   The farmers as well as experts and officials are expecting a super bumper litchi production in the region including greater Rangpur and Dinajpur following favorable climatic conditions this season.
   According to officials in the Department of Agriculture Extension, the common people and farmers have been cultivating high yielding and hybrid variety litchi on more land in recent years following repeated bumper production and excellent market prices.
   The litchi farming has been gaining popularity consistently as a cash crop in all areas of the region with excellent marketing facilities though the quality litchis were being produced mainly in the Barind areas and Dinajpur even a decade ago.
   Presently, hundreds of litchi orchards have been set up and the commoners cultivated litchi in their homesteads in Dinajpur, Rangpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh, Joypurhat, Naogaon, Bogra, Pabna and Sirajganj districts.
   Because of its repeated bumper productions and excellent market prices with huge demands, expanded and commercial farming of litchi could bring fortunes to hundreds of the more enthusiastic farmers in the region in coming years, experts said.
   Agriculturists Kamal Shariful Alam and Nur Mohammad told BSS that litchi production would be better side by side with mango in the region this season as the climatic conditions are better for litchi farming and mangoes.
   ’Over 95 per cent of trees have been bloomed and tender litchis are now being formed in all eight districts of greater Rangpur and Dinajpur as elsewhere in the region and the fruits might start arriving in the markets from May next,’ they added.
   According to available sources, there are nearly 70 million litchi trees in 7,500 small, medium and big-sized litchi orchards on over 4,000 hectares land and homesteads in the region to produce plenty of litchi this season.
   Commercial litchi farming has been expanding fast in Sadar, Kaharol, Biral, Birampur, Fulbari, Chirirbandar and Birganj upazilas in Dinajpur and nearby Badarganj, Pirganj, Mithapukur, Sadar upazilas of Rangpur, Pirganj upazila of Thakurgaon in recent years.
   According to the experts, presently there are over 30 million litchi trees in 4,000 different size litchi orchards in about 1,500 hectares land and in most of the homesteads in all 13 upazilas of Dinajpur district alone.
   The farmers are cultivating the Madrazi and Bombay varieties of litchi on about 70 per cent land and the rest varieties like Bedana, China-3, Golapi, Mozaffar and others are being cultivated in the other 30 percent areas, they added.
   Many of the litchi orchards have already been sold to the traders in advance and their appointed people have already started looking after those that will continue till end of the
   harvest in June.
   ’If the things go well, a super bumper production of all variety litchis is likely and a minimum of Tk 3,500 crore litchi businesses will be made this year in greater Rangpur and Dinajpur alone,’ the experts and market sources said.
   The experts told BSS that adequately favorable climatic conditions including early departure of the winter resulted in massive litchi budding and the recent sunny weather helped better flowering amid no hailstorms and tornadoes so far.