TODAY’S LECTURE CONTENT…

THIS LECTURE WILL COVER…

1. Bangladesh Agriculture
2. Soils of Bangladesh
3. Wetlands
 OVERVIEW: BANGLADESH AGRICULTURE

OVERVIEW…

• About 84% of the total population live in rural areas

• Agriculture contributes about 32% to the country's GDP
• About 23% of which is contributed by the crop sector alone
• About 63% of the labor force is employed in agriculture
• About 57% being employed in the crop sector
 CHARACTERISTICS OF BANGLADESH AGRICULTURE

CHARACTERISTICS…
• Cropping intensity 179%;
• Irrigated land 56%;
• Surface water:21% ;
• Groundwater: 79%;
• Land-man ratio: .06 ha;
• Mainly subsistence farming;
• Inadequate agro-processing;
• Non-mechanized farming;
• Fragmented land/plots;
• Dependence largely on nature.
 CLIMATE INDUCED HAZARDS AFFECT AGRICULTURE

FLOOD…
• River flood
• Flash flood
• Tidal surge

Affected/Exposed Areas:

• Nearly 80 % areas of the country is

low-lying
• Recent floods affected 30-69% areas
• Standing crops damage
 CLIMATE INDUCED HAZARDS AFFECT AGRICULTURE

CYCLONE…

Loss and Damage of Rice production in four

study villages in the coast (Before and After
Rice Production (Tons)

Cyclone Aila in 2009)

2369

1063

134
0

Year 2008 Year 2009 Year 2010 Year 2011

Year
 CLIMATE INDUCED HAZARDS AFFECT AGRICULTURE

DROUGHT…

Affected/Exposed Areas:

• About 25% of the country suffer

water stress in dry season.
• Western and north western districts
of the country are mostly affected.

Source: BWDB
 CLIMATE INDUCED HAZARDS AFFECT AGRICULTURE

SEA LEVEL RISE…

Affected/Exposed Areas:

• About 25% of the country

will be inundated.

Sea Level Rise

• Southern rice production
belt will be submerged.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203
North South University
 CLIMATE INDUCED HAZARDS AFFECT AGRICULTURE

SOIL SALINITY…
Salinity Intrusion in agriculture fields

• Salinity intrusion increased by

27 % from 1973 to 2009 (SRDI,
2010).
• Farmers are extremely
challenged with salinity.
• After Cyclone Aila (2009), many
farmers couldn’t cultivate rice
for three consecutive years.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203
North South University
 ADAPTATION TECHNOLOGIES IN CROP AGRICULTURE

ADAPTATION TECHNOLOGIES…

– Stress (flood, drought and salinity) tolerant varieties

– Short duration crops
– Innovative farming practices (floating gardens, irrigation efficiency)
– Crop diversification
– Changing/shifting cropping pattern
– Adjustments in irrigation system (excavation of mini-ponds,
supplementary irrigation)
– Cropping intensity (1, 2, 3, 4……crops in a year)

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203
North South University
 ADAPTATION TECHNOLOGY: FLOATING GARDEN

EXAMPLE: FLOATING GARDEN…

VEGETABLE FARMING…

• Adaptation technology in practice:

Flood Prone Areas

• Floating Bed Preparation

– Collection of materials (water-
hyacinth and other aquatic
vegetation)
– Making a floating bed (May to July)

• Farming crops and season

– Mostly vegetables, both summer
and winter
– Ball or cushion like structure
– Seedling raising

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203
North South University
 SUSTAINABLE GROWTH OF AGRICULTURE

SUSTAINABLE GROWTH OF AGRICULTURE…

Bangladesh shall have to incorporate the following specific features:

1. Land productivity of agriculture will have to be increased by at

least 50 per cent.

2. The structure of agricultural production has to be diversified

along non-crop lines.

3. Non-farm activities in the rural areas will have to be proliferated

hugely to provide new employment.

4. Infrastructure and Marketing system in the rural areas should be

improved to meet the challenge of a more commercialized
agriculture.

5. Massive migration would take place from rural areas to urban

areas.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203
North South University
 IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE

IMPORTANCE…

• 21% GDP;

• 48% labor force;

• Agriculture determines people’s lives and livelihood of this region;

• People living in rural areas 77%.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203
North South University
 PROSPECTS OF AGRICULTURE

PROSPECTS…
• Modern technological knowledge is available for reducing
yield gaps;
• Scope for expanding hybrid technology exists;
• Prospects for adoption of advanced technology;
• Energy input in agri-sector is increasing gradually;
• Export potentials exist for high-value crops
• Scope for crop diversification, intensification and value
addition to agricultural produces.
• Agriculture sector has capacity to absorb labor force and
to generate income;
• Potentials for proper utilization of hilly/coastal areas
including agro-ecologically disadvantaged regions.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203
North South University
 AGRICULTURAL GROWTH: LAST TWO DECADES

BANGLADESH SCENARIO…

 Input based growth;

(intensive use of HYV/Hybrid seeds, irrigation, fertilizer,
pesticides, etc.);
 Less mechanized farming;
 Insignificant methodological change of farming;
 Little scope for crop diversification;
 Combination of vertical & horizontal growth;
 Presently less scope of horizontal growth.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203
North South University
 PESTICIDE CONSUMPTION (MT)

BANGLADESH SCENARIO…

Pesticide consumption has more than doubled in the

past decade

Pesticide consumption (metric tons)

18,000
16,000
14,000
12,000
10,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Year

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203
North South University
 ECOLOGICAL FARMING: CULTIVATING FOR LIFE

ECOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE…

Ecological agriculture is based on the principles of :

1. Diverse and mixed cropping systems instead of monocultures;

2. Green manure and compost instead of chemical fertilizer;
3. Natural pest management;
4. Preservation of seeds at the household level; and
5. Agro-forestry.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203
North South University
 SOURCE OF IRRIGATION WATER

IRRIGATION…

The use of surface water for irrigation has increased only

slowly from just over 1 million hectares in the late 1960s to
around 1.2 million hectares over a period of three decades, to
the late 1990s.
Over the same period, the area under groundwater irrigation
has registered a spectacular 76-fold increase from 32,600
hectares to about 2.5 million hectares.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203
North South University
 DIFFERENCE IN CROP YIELDS

GREAT DISPARITY BETWEEN COUNTRIES

a. Wheat Production:
Pakistan = 2.1 metric tons per hectare
Germany = 6.9 metric tons per hectare

b. Corn Production:
India = 1.6 metric tons per hectare
U.S. = 7.1 metric tons per hectare

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203
North South University
 ECONOMICS OF AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

TRANSITION PROCESS…

Specialized, modern
commercial farming

Diversified or mixed farming

Subsistence farming

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203
North South University
 SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT NEED…….

• Financial Support
• Technical Support
• Technology
New Variety
Innovate new strategy for management practices
Cropping System
Machinery

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203
North South University
 SOME CHALLENGES

CHALLENGES IN AGRICULTURE SECTOR…

• Rapid shrinkage of agricultural land @1% (i.e. 0.08m ha p.a.);

• Population growth @1.21% (i.e. 0.20 million p.a.);
• Climate change and variations;
• Rapid urbanization growth @12% p.a.;
• Technology generation (needs expertise, time and money);
• Technology dissemination (needs expertise, time, logistics support);
• Alternative livelihoods/rehabilitation program;
• Inadequate value addition /food processing.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203
North South University
 BANGLADESH AGRICULTURE…FUTURE DIRECTION

FUTURE DIRECTION…

From 1960, onward, the official strategy of successive governments

was intensification of agriculture and it was to be carried out with the
help of a new technology called High Yield Variety (HYV) technology.

This HYV technology consisted of three principal components:

(a) Irrigation facility,
(b) Seeds with higher yield potentiality, and
(c) Chemical Fertilizer and Chemical Insecticide.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203
North South University