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Contributions of Agroforestry Practice Towards Reducing Poverty at Keshabpur Upazila of Jessore District – a Case Study

M. W. Islam
Forestry and Wood Technology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna 9208, Bangladesh

M. M. Islam
Forestry and Wood Technology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna 9208, Bangladesh

M. N. Sadath
Forestry and Wood Technology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna 9208, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The systematic agroforestry practice is being popular day by day in Jessore district of Bangladesh. Considering the situation, the present study aims to know the farmers’ attitude and perception about agroforestry practice and to find out the potentialities of agroforestry to reduce poverty at the study area viz., Keshabpur upazila of Jessore district. Mixed method by using semistructured questionnaires was followed in the field survey. The results illustrated that the respondents preferred agricultural practice (average 58.45% of their total lands) as their major land use followed by homestead and agroforestry land uses (31.75%). Agroforestry was getting popularity as well as socially and ecologically acceptable at this area due to the diversified outcomes of this practice. The small land holders (possession >1 acre) were the most interested among the respondents to practice agroforestry. The less poor agroforestry farmers’ change of income was also higher than the poor farmers. The increased production and income facilitated the villagers to reduce their poverty to some extent and thus they had better access to their daily necessities which helped them to attain a minimal standard of living.

Keywords: Agricultural crops, Households, Income, Land use, Perennial crops, Perception

Location: Jessore district

Start Date: 00-00-2004

End Date: 00-00-2005

Program Area: Farming System

Non-commodity: Income generation

Objectives:

The objectives of the present study are to know the farmers’ attitude and perception about agroforestry practice and to find out the potentialities of agroforestry to reduce poverty at the study area.

Methodology:

Selection of study area: Keshabpur upazila or subdistrict of Jessore district (south-western part of Bangladesh) under Khulna division is a potential place for practicing agroforestry. A considerable portion of the population of this area is involved with agroforestry practice. So, Keshabpur upazila was selected as the study area purposively for the present study. Three villages (Nuton Mulgram, Komorpur and Jahanpur) of Keshabpur upazila were selected randomly where agroforestry is practiced. About study area: The distance of Keshabpur upazila from Jessore city is 32 km which is located between 22º48' and 22º57′ N latitudes and between 89º07′ and 89º22′ E longitudes covering an area of 258.52 km². It consists of 143 villages under 9 unions. This upazila is surrounded by Manirampur upazila to the north, Tala and Dumuria upazila to the south, Dumuria upazila also covers the southeast part and Kalarua upazila is to the west. The total population of this upazila was (according to Population Census 2001) 2,26,367 (male 51.36%, female 48.64%, ration 106:100) having the density of 875/km² consisting of total 49,900 households and where the annual growth rate was 1.23. Data collection method: The focus of the study was to know the farmers’ attitude and perceptions regarding practicing agroforestry at Keshabpur upazila of Jessore district. So, the farmer of this study area was selected as the target population and the primary data were collected from the field survey using mixed method followed by semi-structured questionnaire. Due to unavailable of reliable data on the farmers who practice in this study area random sampling was not possible in the field. As a result snowball purposive sampling method was used to collect the field data. The sample size of the study was 80 where the farmers who practiced agroforestry were the sampling units. Mixed method was used to collect the field data. Farmers’ attitude and perceptions regarding practicing agroforestry were viewed from different angles along with their socio-economic characteristics by the help of the questionnaire. Different indicators for assessing the contributions of agroforestry practice in reducing poverty at the study area were selected for this study. These indicators were: income status, educational status, housing condition, sanitation condition, household assets status, production of agricultural crops, homestead and cropland agroforestry species and perception on importance of trees. The field survey was carried out in 2004-05. Types of data collection and analysis: Two types of data were collected for this study. a. Primary data: Field survey was carried out through formal and informal face-to-face individual interview with the respondents (local households/farmers) of the targeted study area and b. Secondary data: Information were collected from different libraries of Khulna University, journals and magazines, published and unpublished national and international reports, websites, etc. The collected data were reviewed, sorted and analyzed systematically considering the objectives of the study. MS Excel package was used to analyze these survey data.

Source of Information: J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 5(2): 267 - 274 , 2012; ISSN 1999-7361

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

1. Government

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The present study indicated clearly that the respondents of Keshabpur upazila were very positive on practicing agroforestry in their croplands and homesteads. They perceived agroforestry as a profitable land use system which contributed them in many diversified ways such as: improving income, educational status, housing condition, homestead tree species status, household assets, sanitation condition, production of agricultural crops, etc. Their attitude and perception on agroforestry practice were very supportive to promote and upscale agroforestry in the study area. Moreover, they perceived the importance of trees immensely. These sorts of findings may conclude that the agroforestry practice is contributing positively to reduce poverty at Keshabpur upazila of Jessore district

Knowledge Management: Journal