Major activities and achievements of the Thana Cereal Technology Transfer and Identification Project in Bangladesh
M. Enamul Hoque Md. Tofazzal Hossain, K.G. Pillai, R.N. Mallick and M.A. Awal1
Agriculture is the single largest sector and the mainstay of the Bangladesh economy. It accounts for almost one-third of GDP and provides employment for two-thirds of the labour force. With a vast majority of the population (87 percent) residing in rural areas, and more than half living below the poverty line, no growth or poverty alleviation strategy for Bangladesh can succeed without a healthy agricultural sector. The risks and uncertainties in farming are so great that it often becomes difficult to make significant changes in farming systems and to organize agricultural development strategies. Periodic floods and droughts and other climatic vagaries cause instability in food production.
Although the country has made steady progress in agriculture in the post-independence period, increasing its cropping intensity from 148 to 180 percent between the period 1969-70 and 1992-95 and thereby almost doubling foodgrain production, the agricultural sector, by and large, has still not been able to exploit its full potential for crop production. The current level of grain production has flattened out at 20 million tonnes of foodgrain during 1996-97, compared with 13.3 million tonnes in 1979-80. During the same period the population has increased by more than 37 percent. Assuming a per caput foodgrain requirement of 465 g/day, there was a shortfall of food availability in 1997 of nearly 2 million tonnes. As a result, Bangladesh has been a net food importer, despite its comparative advantage in producing a number of crops both for domestic consumption and for export. Nutritional indicators point to significant gaps in food consumption, with serious implications for the country's development in future.
Demographic compulsions and declining per caput land availability make it clear that Bangladesh will have to produce more farm products from less and less land and water in the next century. In view of its shrinking resource base, coupled with growing population pressure, Bangladesh needs a "farming systems-oriented green revolution" (replacing the present crop-centred green revolution) that can impart a self-propelling and self-replicating momentum, based on people's self-mobilization and using sustainable methods of intensification and diversification.
Thana Cereal Technology Transfer and Identification Project
Objectives and mandate. Thana Cereal Technology Transfer and Identification (TCTTI) Project was originally envisaged as the core component of the government's Accelerated Cereal Production (ACP) Programme. The project was designed to increase the productivity and production of cereal crops under irrigated conditions, by identifying appropriate crop varieties and integrating new technologies and crop management practices that permit crop diversification and by developing sustainable and intensive rice-based cropping systems. The TCTTI project is executed by FAO and funded by UNDP.
General objectives. The major objective of the project is to assist Bangladesh in achieving and maintaining cereal self-sufficiency and in improving the diets and real income of rural and urban poor.
Immediate objectives. The project's major component is technology dissemination; its second component is technology identification.
Through technology dissemination, the project attempts to promote the use of highly productive, cereal-based cropping practices under irrigated conditions and strengthen Thana-based extension activities. The technology identification component serves to identify improved rice, wheat, maize and pulse genotypes appropriate for intensified cropping systems under irrigated conditions.
The TCTTI strategy. The project strategy will focus on integrating national and local extension services by providing organizational and technical knowledge and assisting the Department of Agricultural Extension staff in formulating local activities. The project is focused on "farmer-participatory approaches" for identifying and transferring technology for highly productive agriculture under irrigated conditions. It follows two concurrent phases:
i) Transferring existing technology for T. aman rice in low flood-risk ecologies with an emphasis on timely transplanting and supplementary irri-gation; yield improvement of boro rice through the use of appropriate rice varieties and adequate inputs with increased input use efficiency; and improving the yield levels of wheat, maize, pulses and oilseeds through the introduction of new crop varieties/hybrids and the adoption of improved cultural management practices, under irrigated conditions.
ii) The diversification of cropping patterns with more emphasis on crops grown in rotation with rice, such as wheat, maize and pulses/oilseeds and also green manure crops.
Department of Agriculture Extension mission: TCTTI's complementary role
In the context of the new national extension policy, the Department of Agricultural Extension's stated mission is to provide efficient and effective need-based extension services to all categories of farmer, to enable them to optimize their land and other basic resource use and so promote sustainable agricultural and socio-economic development.
There has been a growing realization that significant adjustments in existing approaches to research and extension are required to facilitate and nurture effective partnership in the development and dissemination of technologies. Meaningful participation by rural communities and individual farm families involves an understanding of the specific mechanisms for bottom-up or demand-driven programmes and how these can be effectively synchronized with decision-making and programme implementation. TCTTI aims to develop better approaches for sharing responsibilities for the development and dissemination of new technologies by research and extension staff and the farmers, and fostering effective collaboration in the process. Involving a "farmer-first" approach for technology transfer, the current strategy of TCTTI is designed to enhance the level of farmers' participation in diagnosing the critical problems requiring technol-ogical solutions and developmental interventions.
Major activities and accomplishments
The project inception meeting in January 1996 finalized the list of 24 targeted thanas for technology dissemination and promotional activities and 29 non-targeted (control) thanas for project work under irrigated conditions. The project prepared principal guidelines for and conducted a PRA/Baseline survey, developed a trained cadre of 150 PRA practitioners from the Department of Agricultural Extension/Bangladesh Rice Research Institute(BRRI)/Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute(BARI) and finalized the thana-level baseline survey. Through a series of sensitization workshops and farmer research extension workshops at the national and regional levels, following farmer-participatory assessment and planning approaches, the project considered reports from 53 thanas, prioritized farmers' perceived needs and identified appropriate varieties and crop management technologies available on the shelf at BRRI and BARI. The government is now employing the PRA practitioners trained by the project to conduct similar surveys in other project areas.
Technology dissemination on a pilot scale was initiated in three thanas (covering 370 ha) during the first T. aman rice season, starting June/July 1996 by organizing compact block front-line demonstrations on the usefulness of appropriate varieties and crop management technologies including the use of quality seeds, timeliness of planting, balanced nutrient use, efficient use of fertilizers through better methods of fertilizer application, correction of micronutrient deficiencies, adoption of IPM for pest management and critical irrigation (if necessitated at the flowering to grain-filling stages). Being in blocks of 12 to 25 ha in a compact area, these demonstrations could attract the attention of farmers, agricultural officers, planners and administrators alike, as it could ensure better visibility, increased replicability and greater impact. The test variety of rice BR32 was widely accepted by the farmers and, through appropriate training and involvement of farm women, the project activities could stimulate quality seed production and ensure farmer-to-farmer exchange of seeds in adjoining villages. The T. aman rice yields of BR32 in demonstrations blocks ranged from 4.2 to 4.8 tonnes/ha, as compared with the national average of 2.5 tonnes/ha.
Soon after the harvest of T. aman rice in November 1996 the project encouraged the sowing of hybrid maize, wheat, sunflower and mustard in these blocks in high and medium highlands. It also promoted boro rice demonstrations in lowland areas, taking advantage of the early maturity of varieties used in the T. aman season and of timeliness of planting, which enabled the early vacation of land for rabi crops. By attempting to link production and marketing systems, our initial experience with hybrid maize proved to be a success story, as the yield levels were more than 8 tonnes/ha and poultry farmers were readily buying output as feed. The biomass left behind was partly used as fodder and partly as cooking fuel, thereby facilitating by-product utilization.
Project activities were in full swing by the boro season, starting December/January 1996/97 in all the 24 targeted thanas receiving UNDP support. Demonstrations in 120 blocks (12.3 ha in each block = 1 480 ha) in 24 thanas were organized to present new rice varieties and location-specific technology packages. The number of beneficiary farmers in each block varied from 11 to 16, benefiting a wider cross-section of farming families. Seasonal training workshops were organized for thana agricultural officers and senior officers as well as training for farmers (50 per thana) and block supervisors (ten per thana) to discuss and finalize the demonstration plans, site selection, etc., and to provide guidelines for agriculture officers and beneficiary farmers. Field days and promotional activities during the season attracted farmers and extension officers from neighbouring thanas. Among the test varieties, BR28 recorded an excellent grain yield performance, averaging 6 to 6.5 tonnes/ha, and farmers from neighbouring areas were waiting to collect the seeds of BR28 from demonstration block areas so as to use them during the ensuing boro season.
The concept of block demonstrations has drawn the attention of the Department of Agriculture Extension, and the Ministry of Agriculture has made it a policy to follow the compact block demonstration approach (promoting group action), ensuring that it is incorporated in all ongoing and future projects.
Soon after the harvest of boro rice, in April/May 1997 green manuring demonstrations were organized in most of these blocks in all the 24 thanas, mainly to ensure soil fertility enhancement and recuperation of soil health. The aim is to encourage a shift in agricultural paradigms from an excessive reliance on externally purchased inputs for creating more optimal environments for production towards increased production efficiency by utilizing the inherent ability of improved crop varieties and associated cultural management technologies. This could help in narrowing the current level of gaps between experimental stations' yields and farmers' yields.
The concept of "community nurseries" to help ensure early sowing and timely transplanting of T. aman rice and the integrated rice-fish culture systems, which the project sought to revive in lowland rice-growing areas, caught the attention of farmers and administrators. During the T. aman season (July/November 1997), 120 community nurseries were organized, covering 1 480 ha of additional transplanted rice area in 24 thanas; this was over and above the 120 T. aman rice project demonstrations. If this type of system is accepted, it should ensure timely transplanting in contiguous areas, thereby reducing the irrigation water requirement and pest management problems.
With government funding, the project activities during 1997/98 rabi-boro season has been extended (on a pilot scale) to 40 additional thanas and activities are expected to be in full swing by the 1998 T. aman. The current level of technology diffusion from the demonstration blocks to neighbouring areas has been encouraging, as revealed by the spread of T. aman rice varieties such as BR32 and BR31 and of boro varieties such as BR28 and BR29, largely through farmer-to-farmer exchange of seeds. The adoption of hybrid maize technology in pilot thanas has also been very encouraging, for example in Dhamrai, Parbotipur and Rangunia.
Target beneficiaries
The project is expected to help increase farm incomes per unit area as well as increasing employment opportunities and benefiting the farming community in general, particularly the small and marginal farmers and landless labourers. Greater opportunities for training are being provided for women in the areas of quality seed production and storage as well as post-production processing.
The project ensures better involvement of the farmers at every stage of needs assessment, baseline surveys and technology identification and transfer through organized compact block demonstrations, thereby ensuring:
Principales activités et réalisations du projet d'identification et de
transfert de technologies céréalières dans les thanas au Bangladesh
Etant donné qu'environ 87 pour cent de la population résident en zone rurale, le Bangladesh doit avoir un secteur agricole dynamique. Le projet BGD/89/045, «Identification et transfert de technologies céréalières dans les thanas» vise à aider le pays à réaliser son autosuffisance en matière de céréales et à améliorer le niveau nutritionnel et le revenu de la population rurale. Mis en œuvre en décembre 1995, ce projet en est rapidement venu à préparer des directives et à former du personnel pour l'enquête participative rapide en zone rurale (PRA) dans 53 thanas (districts) de façon à définir une base pour la sélection des technologies à transférer aux agriculteurs et pour l'identification de nouvelles technologies. Les technologies et les systèmes d'exploitation ont été sélectionnés en fonction des zones agroécologiques (ZAE) et de la situation socioéconomique des agriculteurs.
Le riz est cultivé essentiellement en système pluvial pendant la campagne Aman, tandis que le riz, le blé, et les légumineuses en grain sont cultivés pendant les campagnes Rabi et Boro. Le transfert des technologies s'est effectué par l'utilisation de vastes démonstrations en bloc - de
5 à 10 acres avec la participation de 10 à 15 agriculteurs par site - appelées démonstrations en bloc de première ligne. Les technologies de démonstration pour le riz incluent des variétés améliorées, des semences de qualité, des plants de pépinières, des applications d'engrais équilibrés et des techniques de PI dans le cadre d'un ensemble de mesures intégrées. L'irrigation de complément et la pisciculture associée à la riziculture sont d'autres technologies qui ont fait l'objet de démonstrations pendant la campagne Aman. Pour d'autres variétés améliorées - surtout le maïs hybride - les semences de qualité et la production végétale intégrée constituent les technologies de démonstration. Des engrais verts ont été incorporés chaque fois que possible. Ce projet met l'accent sur la participation des agriculteurs. Afin d'améliorer la participation de ces derniers, des ONG locales et des vulgarisateurs locaux à la planification des activités de vulgarisation, le projet a organisé une série d'ateliers de formation et de journées de terrain à chaque campagne. Il a également dispensé des consultations et des avis techniques aux instituts de recherche tels que BARI et BRRI en matière d'identification de nouvelles technologies agricoles. Les résultats obtenus par ce projet ont amené le gouvernement à adopter à l'échelle de tout le pays les démonstrations en bloc de première ligne. L'adoption massive par les agriculteurs des technologies ayant fait l'objet de démonstrations durant le projet, par exemple les variétés de riz BR 28, BR 29, BR 31 et BR 32 et le maïs hybride, sont une autre grande réalisation de ce projet.
Principales actividades y logros del proyecto de identificación
y transferencia de tecnologías para cereales en Bangladesh
Dado que el 87 por ciento de su población reside en zonas rurales, Bangladesh necesita un sector agrícola saneado. El proyecto BGD/89/045, Identificación y transferencia de tecnología para cereales, tuvo por objeto ayudar al país a conseguir la autosuficiencia en cereales y mejorar la nutrición y los ingresos de la población rural. Iniciado en diciembre de 1995, el proyecto procedió rápidamente a preparar directrices y a capacitar al personal encargado de realizar la encuesta participativa rápida sobre población rural en 53 thanas (distritos) como punto de referencia para la selección de tecnologías transferibles a los agricultores y la determinación de nuevas tecnologías. Las tecnologías y sistemas de cultivo se seleccionaron en función de las zonas agroecológicas y de las condiciones socioeconómicas de los agricultores.
El arroz se cultiva principalmente en tierras de secano durante la campaña Amán, mientras que durante las campañas Rabi y Boro se cultivan trigo, maíz y leguminosas de grano. La transferencia de tecnología se realizó mediante la utilización de la denominada demostración en bloques de primera línea, con la participación de 10 a 15 agricultores en cada sitio de demostración de 5 a 10 acres. Las tecnologías de demostración para el arroz incluyeron variedades mejoradas, semillas de calidad, semilleros comunes, aplicación equilibrada de fertilizantes y manejo de plagas en paquetes integrados. El riego complementario y la piscicultura en arrozales son otras tecnologías del arroz de las que se hicieron demostraciones durante la campaña Amán. En lo que respecta a otros cultivos, entre las tecnologías que fueron objeto de demostración figuraron variedades mejoradas, en particular maíz híbrido, semillas de calidad y actividades integradas de producción agrícola, con la incorporación de abono verde en los casos oportunos. Con el fin de aumentar la participación de los agricultores, de las ONG y extensionistas locales en la planificación de las actividades de extensión, el proyecto organizó una serie de talleres de capacitación y jornadas de prácticas en cada campaña. También proporcionó servicios de consultoría y asistencia técnica a instituciones de investigación agrícola como BARI y BRRI, en lo relativo a la determinación de nuevas tecnologías de cultivo. Los resultados de las actividades del proyecto han inducido al Gobierno a realizar demostraciones en bloque de primera línea a nivel nacional. La amplia adopción por los agricultores de las tecnologías demostradas en el proyecto, por ejemplo variedades de arroz BR 28, BR 29, BR 31 y BR 32 y maíz híbrido, es otro de los logros principales del proyecto.
1 Respectively, Director-General, National Project Director and Director, Department of Agriculture Extension; Chief Technical Adviser, Farming Systems Specialist (TCTTI); and Additional Director (Monitoring), Field Services Wing, Department of Agricultural Extension, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
