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Crop-livestock Farming Systems Research in Bangladesh: Evaluation, Impacts and Constraints

M. Mafizul Islam
System Research Division, Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute, Savar, Dhaka-1341, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

In the pursuit of the need for generation of technology and its dissemination with the ultimate goal of improving the agricultural systems in the country, several systems approaches have been followed, the Farming Systems Research and Development (FSRD) being one of the approaches to technology transfer systems evolved to its present form in 20 years. Based on numerous secondary sources of information, this study was undertaken to review the evolution of systems research, assess impacts, and identify constraints to crop-livestock farming systems research implemented during the past 10-15 years in 17 FRD sites under NARS Institutes in Bangladesh. Rapid spread and adoption of a good number of crop-livestock systems technologies have created varying degrees of positive and significant impacts around the FSRD and multi-location trial (MLT) ites and in the vicinities. FSRD recommended technologies were found to be more productive than the traditional ones. Some of them even provided marginal rate of return to the extent of 600-800%. The crop-livestock technologies have brought remarkable changes to the rural farming communities in food security, poverty alleviation, employment generation, gender and women empowerment, intensity of land use, income and asset generation, agribusiness development, skill development, and maintaining a better environment. Despite significant contribution of FSRD interventions to the growth of agriculture, the programmes suffered due to numerous limiting factors. In view of the distinct possibility of reduction in support levels from donors for FSRD programmes, support from several promising internal sources, notably the projects of the government extension departments, NGOs and private agencies need to be explored and arrangements made for contracts/MOU by Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council and NARS Institutes. For organizational and financial sustainability of FSRD, all Agricultural Research Institutes need to incorporate suitable FSRD capacities into their core structures and provide core operational funding support to the FSRD programmes.

Keywords: Crop-livestock farming systems, Impacts, Constraints

Location: National Agricultural Research Institutes, government organizations, non-government organization

Start Date: 06-06-2001

End Date: 07-06-2001

Program Area: Farming System

Non-commodity: Performance

Objectives:

i) review chronological evolution of systems research in Bangladesh, ii) assess impacts of crop- livestock farming systems, and iii) identify constraints to and opportunities for sustainability of FSRD. After introductory statements, the paper presents a brief methodology followed by evolution of systems research, impacts, constraints and a conclusion in subsequent sections.

Methodology:

The study is based on available reports and documents collected from National Agricultural Research Institutes, government organizations, non-government organizations and other secondary sources. A thorough review of the collected materials and the outputs of FSRD workshop held at BARC during 6-7 June, 2001 on areas of concern, provided important inputs to the preparation of this paper. Basically, impact assessment can be of one-shot ex-ante or ex-post type. The FSRD in its current position is amenable to ex-post type assessment. There are a number of approaches for studying ex-post type impact assessment right from physical observation, experience sharing, target-control comparison, before-after comparison, economic surplus and econometric methods. Index number approach is also used to study the rates of return. Unlike mono crop or enterprise assessment, the impact of the FSRD is expected to have several dimensions that need to be addressed during assessment. Some of these are easily measurable but many are not, some quickly become obvious while others take longer, and some have a direct impact while others have an indirect impact. In order to address all these dimensions of the FSRD type intervention, a particular method or approach is not adequate. The approach used here is in fact an ex-post review of the effect of intervention rather than quantitative indicators because of the fact that quantitative indicator cannot be made for many parameters and qualitative or descriptive reading better describes the matter. Nevertheless, quantitative assessments have been used wherever found appropriate.

Source of Information: Bangladesh Journal of Livestock Research , Vol: 10 (1&2), PP: 1-17, 2003 (Jan-Dec), ISSN: 1022-3851

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Significant contribution to the growth of agriculture in the country was possible through FSRD interventions. Crop-livestock systems research, since inception in 1985 to date, has created enormous impacts on production, income, savings and life style of huge number of beneficiaries. The development of improved cropping patterns for different agro-ecological zones, identification and popularization of suitable crop varieties, contributions to national fertilizer guide, homestead vegetable gardens, pond cultures, skills and agribusiness development are the contributions of FSRD. Shortage of cattle feed has been minimized at least to some extent through the introduction of fodder crops in the existing cropping patterns. BLRI developed UMS technology for beef fattening and milk production, high yielding fodder, broiler, layer, cockerel and pullet rearing packages have enhanced production and income substantially including generation of employment for the women and youth, and development of agribusiness and market intermediaries. Dynamic and significant changes in the farming systems in Bangladesh took place due to FSRD scientist's motivation and commitment for hard work in a very harsh environment. Despite this, FSRD programmes suffered due to many constraints. Lack of adequate technical knowledge-base of the staff to effectively guide junior colleagues and supervise field activities, problems in the design and implementation of holistic approach including crop-livestock systems research, lack of strong policy directives and implementation on inter- institutional cooperation, weak research-extension linkage, temporary nature of job, and experimental design, are identified as some of the important limiting factors. For financial sustainability of FSRD, all ARIs should provide modest core operational budget support to the FSRD programmes in addition to regularizing the positions of FSRD staf. The core FSRD activities should become a regular feature of the operating budgets of the respective Institutes.

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